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Local Residents Meet "Miracle on the Hudson" Survivors at Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Edgewater
On Thursday, January 14, 2010, nearly 100 local residents turned out meet and greet several passengers from the "Miracle on the Hudson" flight during a special book-signing event at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Edgewater, NJ.
The free event coincided with the one-year anniversary of the Hudson River landing of US Airways Flight 1549, and marked the release of Brace for Impact (HCI Books; January 15, 2010; ISBN: 978-0-7573-1357-8; $14.95; Original Trade Paperback), written by Kevin Quirk and Dorothy Firman.
Brace for Impact is the only book written in the words of 25 survivors detailing the impact their close encounter with death has had on them and their lives – both good and bad – over the past year. Each of the stories, as told to the authors, is compelling and thematically arranged, and includes life lessons readers will find helpful and inspirational in their own struggles for resilience.
About Brace For Impact
The story of Captain "Sully" Sullenberger's miraculous landing, the heroic acts of first responders, and the images of 150 grateful souls stepping off those water-coated wings to safety with nothing worse than soggy clothes and minor injuries has touched the world. There have been hundreds of high-profile media accounts and recent documentaries recounting the ins and outs of this stunning tale of survival against all odds, but Brace for Impact focuses primarily on an entirely different dimension to this captivating story: life after the crash.
This is the different, more meaningful, and more-timely story that has yet to be told. What happened to these passengers when they went home to their families, their homes, their jobs, and everything else familiar but somehow not the same? What has been the real impact? Not of a disastrous crash, but instead the gift of a "new" life? What can we learn from the honest and open sharing of ordinary people who came back from the brink of death? Brace for Impact answers those questions and more by taking readers inside the hearts, minds and souls of 25 passengers. This inspirational book is designed to stir, encourage, and uplift anyone already moved by this stunning near-death experience and anyone seeking meaning during today's troubled times.
About Barry Leonard ("The Heart of Gratitude" -- Chapter 3)
Barry Leonard suffered a fractured sternum during the crash and shock from desperately trying to swim to safety — resulting in a 3-day hospital stay. Barry has faced new medical challenges in his life since the crash. In July, Barry organized a thank-you luncheon for the 70 New Jersey first responders and medical staff that saved him, symbolic of a new commitment to extend gratitude in ever widening circles of life. As a successful businessman at the top of his game, Barry speaks to how the crash helped him see what really matters for himself and for others. Barry lives in Charlotte but works in NYC as CEO of home fashion firms.
About Dave Sanderson ("Speaking from the Heart" -- Chapter 22)
Dave Sanderson started out giving church talks about the possibilities of miracles and has become a high-profile national inspirational speaker with Keppler Speakers Bureau. Dave tells of how he often finds himself in tears due to his talks and the memories of the crash and rescue, the deeper spiritual meaning, and the poignant moments with those he speaks to with passion, insight and direct experience as to why people everywhere have been so touched by this story.