When Gail Campbell Woolley was seven, a pediatrician told her mother
that Gail suffered from sickle cell anemia, a rare blood disease, and
that she would be dead by age 35. While others may have responded to
this horrifying news by descending into a fog of self-pity, Gail went in
the opposite direction. She decided to live an eventful, exciting life
that ultimately included--despite a troubled home life and the systemic
racism and sexism of the late 20th century--academic success, an
impressive career, a long and loving marriage, and the ability to leave
her unmistakable stamp on every person she met. By the time she finally
succumbed to her disease at age 58 in 2015, she had ground that doctor's
words into dust.
Soar, written in the last two years of her life, is Woolley's
powerfully inspiring story, and its publication checks the last item off
her extraordinary bucket list, which also included traveling to every
continent except Antarctica.
Gail writes that from the time she was a child, she awoke every morning
with the sound of the famous 60 Minutes clock ticking in the back of
her mind. But those ticking seconds also formed her indomitable spirit
in ways that can inspire each of us who still draw breath. Written in an
engaging, no-nonsense voice with a directness that reflects her many
years in journalism, Woolley's remarkable story not only will move
readers to root for this irrepressible, quietly heroic woman but also
will push readers to reassess their own approach to life.
