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8 months ago
Forged Through Fire by Mark D. McDonough
Forged Through Fire: A Reconstructive Surgeon's Story of...
by Mark D. McDonough (Goodreads Author)
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Read in November 2019
If I were to describe this book using only three words, I would say that it's inspiring, raw, and emotional.
Inspiring because it is that. This is a sad and intense story of survival and healing and it was so inspiring to read about how McDonough overcame that and came to know God in a fuller and better way. It was inspiring to read how the author overcame the pain he experienced and used his experiences to help others. Yes, this was a very inspiring book.
Raw because this is a story of a boy surviving a house fire. McDonough doesn't gloss over the hard parts, he doesn't soften the facts for us. No, the author tells it as it was, the raw and painful truth of what happening and how he overcame that. So yes, it's raw and gritty and at some points I was a bit appalled, but it was real, so real.
Emotional because, like I've said before, this is the story of a survivor, but not everyone he loved survived. Just reading about the pain he went through both when he was young and because of the fire made me want to cry. Reading about the loss, terrible loss was difficult because I cannot even imagine going through the same thing, I don't want to imagine it. So yes, it was emotional too, but in the very best of ways.
In the end, this story was wonderful. I think anyone who loves reading memoirs (or really just anyone in general) would enjoy this story and I think that there is something for everyone to take away from it.
**I received a complementary cop of this book but was in no way required to write a positive review. All opinions and thoughts in this review are my own.**

I don’t read a lot of memoirs, so I’m very glad that I took a chance on Forged through Fire by Mark D. McDonough, MD. The words that come after the colon in the title say it all: “A Reconstructive Surgeon’s Story of Survival, Faith, and Healing.” Forged through Fire refers to a fire that was both literal and figurative. It’s not an easy read and I’m sure it wasn’t easy to write; yet on the other hand, it is extremely uplifting and redemptive. God’s ways are clearly seen. This is a book that will touch all readers.

The story opens as 16-year-old Mark’s almost idyllic family life took an abrupt turn the night he barely escaped a house fire that took the lives of his mother and youngest brother. Interspersed in his account of the ensuing weeks and months are adolescent memories that shaped him into the young man he had become. The narrative is very well written, effortlessly drawing readers into Mark’s physical and emotional pain. It is honest, raw, and heartfelt.

Forged through Fire is also informative. I don’t fully understand the medical aspects of a burn injury, but I’ve seen enough TV to know this is a traumatic experience with life hanging in the balance. Dr. McDonough is gifted at bringing medical situations and explanations into sharp focus, in a way that readers can easily follow and grasp. It was also interesting that, after a subsequent surgery when Mark wasn’t fully “out” while under anesthesia, he talked about the chemical makeup of anesthesia at the time and why such a thing could happen.

Another key element to this story that I loved was the effects all this had on family relationships and the problem of how to integrate back into a normal life where physical appearance is held in such high esteem. Best of all was the faith element that was shown in such a realistic way – imperfect at times, but consistent overall; with moments of weakness and doubt, but a steady work in progress.

Dr. McDonough’s life beautifully reflects how only God sees the big picture and is constantly working out His purposes – from the doctors and other people of faith who came into his life along the way, to his desire use his experience to help others. I’m thankful that Dr. McDonough shared his story.

Recommended.

I received a copy of this book from Revell Publishing. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

While I am not religious, this book was an incredible read and I was able to overlook the christian overtones throughout. This story of survival, struggle and then triumph was an incredible story.

Mark McDonough was only a teenager when fire ripped through his family home killing his mother and little brother. During this traumatic period and the years to follow his faith was tested and reinforced several times. He developed and overcame an addiction to alcohol to build a career as a reconstructive surgeon. Burns victims were able to benefit from his experience, understanding and treatment.
The explanation of burns and the vital role played by skin really highlights burns as the most severe form of trauma. Professionals working in this field are angels to the injured.
His horrifying experience on the operating table was one of the most disturbing events I could imagine anyone having to endure. I was also reminded of the importance of true friends and how their support is vital in any recovery.
I am not a religious person as such but I do believe everyone has to believe in something. I also consider having a strong faith helps you survive the mental strain when life throws major hurdles your way.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Going on vacation over Christmas I was looking for a book that would hold my interest and be one that I couldn't put down. I selected Forged By Fire by Dr. Mark McDonough and I found exactly what I was looking for. It drew me in on the very first page and I didn't want to put it down. Dr. McDonough describes the tragedy of a house fire that nearly destroyed his life and his family when he was a teenager. The ensuing years were a testimony of struggle, hardship, faith and recovery. This book is the result of his years of personal recovery both physically and emotionally. He peppers his narrative with occasional medical information without it being too "over the head" for the average non-medical reader. His journey of faith is the center of importance to this book but doesn't come across as preachy but more personal. It touched me on a personal level with the gentle reminder of how important it is to seek God's leading for our lives even when things seem hopelessly amiss, He is still in control of what is going on in our lives, if we let Him. It does read like a narrative because it has little to no dialog, but it is so well written, you really don't notice the lack of dialog. If you like books that describe a person's journey through some sort of medical issue, or if you like books where the author details his growth through faith, this book is for you! I loved every page and I look forward to meeting Dr. McDonough one day in heaven to tell him how much his book helped me get through a difficult time in my own life by reminding me to trust God even when we can't understand the events happening in our lives. This book will leave you in awe of his strength and encouraged by his faith!

This book is an interesting memoir that I enjoyed tremendously. Incredibly easy to read, it's also insightful to what a patient goes through when burned by fire.

"Forged Through Fire" by Mark D. McDonough is a autobiography. Have you ever had to walk through the trials of being burned? Dr. McDonough was severely burned in a house fire.. He faced day after day of trying dealing with his pain and other health issues from his burns. Each day gave him new struggles that He had to learn how to walk through. In this terrible house fire Mark also lost his Mother and brother. He had to learn how to deal with his severe burns and the loss of very close family members. When someone is faced with so much they learn to ask questions about God . He was at an important crossroad in his life spiritually , physically and mentally. God met him in his deepest physical, spiritual and mental needs. Mark shared his journey though these trials in this book. I really enjoyed his honesty and learning about his trials He faced in his journey. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. It is well written. I will share my review with facebook, Amazon, Goodreads, my blog, and with church staff members.

Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book. I found it very American in style but quite thought provoking. I would have liked some pictures to put faces to names and to see before and after pictures for myself but perhaps they are in the actual book versions. Nevertheless very enjoyable and inspiring.

This is an inspiring story of how one man endured through many trials and came through to give back to people who were injured in the same way he was. It’s a story of finding ways to cope that did and didn’t work. It’s a story of clinging to God through unimaginable pain and finding His grace really is sufficient.

The first two-thirds of the book go back and forth between life before the tragedy and the recovery and life after. The last section looks more at his adult life and education and work with other trauma cases. I expected there would be more emphasis on this. My only real disappointment was that there weren’t pictures in the book. When I read an autobiography, I like to see pictures of the people and places and events I’m reading about.

This story is hard to read at times. The suffering was so intense. The regret the dad must have felt for not putting batteries in the fire alarms and getting them right back up was heartwrenching. This family endured A LOT. I think it’s good to read such stories and to see how God was faithful to give strength for each difficult step. I appreciated the reminder to look for God’s presence even when it’s hard to imagine He could allow something like this. It’s a thoughtful read that doesn’t offer trite answers but offers hope that comes from going through the fire and coming out the other side.

Thank you to Revell for providing me with a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

#ForgedThroughFire

“We will fall, but how we rise again is what matters”

First and foremost, this is a story about faith. Faith in God and faith in yourself. The author survived numerous medical challenges in his life, with the most dangerous and debilitating of all, the burning of more that 60% of his body. It is a true story, a story of recovery in a life full of love and triumphs towards adversity.
An uplifting and unputdownable story about a young man and how he used his deep faith in God to change his perspective on numerous challenges and his search for meaning among the chaos. It is amazing that, after everything McDonough went through, he had the dedication and the courage to become a reconstructive plastic surgeon so as to help other patients claim back their lives.
There is also a lot of emphasis in the book on alcoholism, how it impacts each and every member of a family and how the author and his whole family triumphed in that challenge, too.
If you enjoyed this book, I would also highly recommend another book that I have received through Netgalley: “I’ve Seen the End of You” by W. Lee Warren, MD which is also a very inspiring faith-based memoir.

My Review of Forged Through Fire by Mark McDonough MD: Wow! This is an intense, powerful, and inspiring story. Following the author’s story of suffering, sadness, and survival. Written in a way that pulls you in and shows you an incredible story. I don’t often read biographies but I am glad I picked up this one, it was a wonderful and horrifying (can you imagine being burned on over 60 percent of your body?) read.

Sharing about the burns in great detail, and alcohol, alcoholism, surgeries, suicide, murder, and lots of trauma, (it is really sad too,) which makes it a book for 16 up.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

With my love and focus on fiction, true stories, stories of courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, can capture my attention quickly, for it is the love of story that keeps me reading. Adding the true human experience to story creates satisfying reading encounter.

Forged through Fire: A Reconstructive Surgeon’s Story of Survival, Faith, and Healing is a stunning glimpse of Mark D. McDonough’s life story, a story of tragic circumstances that engendered a tenacity and strong faith. At the tender age of 5 years, young McDonough was stricken with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a debilitating neurological illness that required months of physical and occupational therapy. He recovered fully.

At 16 years, his father went on a business trip, leaving young Mark “in charge”; awakening to heavy smoke within days after his father left, Mark began yet another fight for life, his and that of his siblings and mother. Helping 3 brothers escape the raging fire that had engulfed their home, Mark began battling through flames and heavy smoke to save his mother and youngest brother. Becoming unconscious just inside the garage door, he was rescued; his next clear awareness of anything was pain, excruciating pain. He had experienced burns over 60% of his body.

Forged through Fire, is one of the most difficult life stories I’ve read, yet Mark D. McDonough survived the extremely painful process of recovering from burns, plus over 30 surgeries to correct the damage. His body survived, but how was this young man able to emotionally and mentally survive the horrific tragedy that had befallen him. A tragedy that that also resulted in the death of his mother and younger brother. Faith, a faith grown through tragedy, not in spite of it or walking around it, but through it.

Dr. Mark D. McDonough is that young 16 year man who fought his way through the fire to become a respected reconstructive surgeon. Currently, Dr. McDonough continues to practice reconstructive surgery part-time, sharing his story of Forged through Fire with others who are experiencing their own pain, walking through the fire with them.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Just Read Tours and am not required to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions therein are solely my own, and freely given.

In one life-changing night, all-American boy Mark is forced to grapple with a devastating loss while also fighting his way through weeks of catastrophic pain. In two small circumstances that are based on actual events but feel like they could be plot points in a fictional drama, the family home erupts into fire while Mark’s father is away on business. As the oldest, he takes it upon himself to attempt to rescue his four younger brothers and mother, even though it means pushing through the intensifying flames in nothing more than the swimsuit he fell asleep in.
While in the midst of questioning and doubt, Mark meets a doctor and nurse who, along with healing his body, also heal his spirit. They show him a genuine love and ask him questions that go beyond his physical healing. It is this re-introduction to God that truly gives Mark the strength to push through the mind-numbing pain and accept the deaths of his mother and youngest brother, finally leaving his guilt for not being able to save them behind.
Full of honesty and transparency, Mark recounts how his beginning struggles have impacted his own and his surviving family’s lives since the night of the fire. Unlike some memoirs, Mark doesn’t settle for a sitcom happy ending, instead truthfully baring all to the reader. However, I did feel like some anecdotes were too brief and may have been better left out (such as his when he mentions his RA, Katie) while others didn’t have the level of detail I hoped for (Penny’s increasing involvement with his family being a key one).
Mark’s indelible memoir will leave the reader inspired and struck by his ability to overcome the odds, not just once, but many times, thanks to his persistence and relationship with God.
I would like to appreciatively thank Netgalley, Revell, and Dr. Mark McDonough for selecting me to receive an advanced copy of Forged Through Fire. This did not have an impact on my review.

This book sucked me in like oxygen in a backdraft—sudden and intense and overpowering.
Ordinarily not a fan of non-fiction, I consumed this book with keen interest. Dr. McDonough’s writing is vivid and inviting, placing the reader right in the middle of the action.
Dr. McDonough’s story reads like, well, a story—always something happening, always moving through the author’s life; if I hadn’t known otherwise, I would have assumed it a fascinating work of fiction.
I appreciated the glimpses into Dr. McDonough’s childhood, his family tales; it made the story more complete, more robust. Written, of course, in first person, the story became even more personal as I read, like a friend describing each incident and anecdote to me.
This story struck a deep chord in this reviewer—six years ago, at age thirty-five, my oldest son was burned on his hand and face. Though far from the injury Dr. McDonough suffered, I witnessed the extreme pain my son endured. Happily, he was treated with his own stem cells and needed no skin grafts.

ROBIN’S FEATHERS
ALL | THE | FEATHERS!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but was under no obligation to read the book or to post a review. I offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my honest thoughts and reaction to this book.


#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day, #TRD, Book Review, Forged Through Fire, Mark D. McDonough MD

At age 17, Mark McDonough survived a catastrophic house fire that left him with burns over 60% of his body and claimed the lives of some of his family members. His journey to recovering was fraught with much frustration and personal trials. And, even once he was considered mostly recovered physically he had to deal with many more emotionally taxing situations with family members and once again more personal trials. Amidst all his physical and emotional pain and suffering he found a personal relationship with God and he doesn't shy away from sharing about that in his book. His story is encouraging and hopeful and it is not one to be missed. I'm glad that I had the chance to read his story and I definitely won't forget it any time soon.

What an unbelievable and amazing personal story of perseverance and faith! I was spellbound throughout each page as the author takes you through his life of trauma and unpredictable happenings. I cannot imagine going through this, but he lays it all out so you can feel what it was like. I encourage everyone to read this! It will challenge your faith and give you hope that nothing is beyond God. You will survive. Such a testimony to us all! Someday I would love to shake this man’s hand and thank him for taking the time to share his story. This is the epitome of encouragement and faith!!

This is a very emotional, yet uplifting story. Mark McDonough shares his life with us, the ups and the downs. He went through a lot as a young child with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a debilitating neurological disease, where he ended up in an iron lung. Later, at the age of 17, he survived a house fire that claimed the lives of his mother and youngest brother and left him with extensive burns over 60% of his body. This is his story of his recovery, his doubts, his faith and love. Dealing not only with multiple surgeries, one when he died and returned to life, but he became an alcoholic, using alcohol originally to dull the pain. With all the experiences he dealt with, he knew he wanted to help people who had suffered burns, or body disfigurement from illness or accident. His journey was intense, sad at times and very emotional. He also discusses how this affects the whole family, with some difficult situations evolving. Growing in his faith as he dealt with one setback after another, was indeed inspirational. It was not easy, yet it was what kept him going. Each time he listened to what God was telling him and watched for signs that answered his prayers, he moved forward with his life.

My husband suffered bad electrical burns shortly after we were married and had to undergo several surgeries. He was in the hospital for 3 months and had to have a flap graph surgery, so as I read about this in the book, I made a personal connection. I am also familiar with the case involving his sons at the end of the book and the details in that part of the story, gave me more insight into that case. This was a book that I had to read over several days, as I had to take breaks from reading it. It is a very emotional and heartbreaking story, but the inspiration I got and the strength of spirit that Mark D. McDonough shows is amazing. I definitely recommend this book.

Mark McDonough relays his extremely moving life story in this sometimes hard to read memoir. He vividly describes his life as a burn victim and not only the excruciating physical pain and procedures he endured, but also the emotional challenges he faced in the aftermath of the horrific fire that killed part of his family. I found some of the details just too horrific (so be warned) but also know that his journey through this will hopefully become an encouragement to others who may be facing similar circumstances. He calls his near-death experience on the operating table a “mountaintop encounter” that profoundly and forever changed him. He discovered that God is real and with him all the time. He had to keep remembering this as his journey continues struggling with alcoholism, career paths, and family tragedies.

He owes his life to the incredible work of surgeon Dr. Frat, who played an integral part in his healing process. I loved his quote “It nearly cost you your life, after all; why not make the best of what is or what will be? It’s definitely more constructive and productive than focusing on the pain you’ve endured or the losses you have sustained.”

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and JustRead Tours and was under no obligation to give a positive review; all opinions are my own.

Forged Through Fire is an intriguing look inside the life of a man who lived through a fire, extensive burns, being poked and prodded by medical specialists, and nearly dying during surgery. If you get squeamish easily, you might not like certain parts of the book as McDonough describes things in quite a bit of detail and includes how he woke up during surgery. There were times in the book when I wished he wouldn’t have flipped back and forth between the “present” and the past because I was interested in what was happening in the hospital after the fire instead of hearing about a prior family road trip. I liked that McDonough didn’t pull any punches when talking about his hospital stay and how he was frustrated with the doctors and nurses although you could tell he knew they were doing the best they could and were trying to help him, at least at he now reflected on it.

A catastrophic house fire burned over 65 percent of Mark Mcdonough's body and claimed the lives of his mother and younger brother. While recovering from the trauma, Mark also wrestled with his faith and had a near-death experience. Later, he experienced adversities like addiction and a stroke. All of these challenges inspired him to pursue a career as a plastic surgeon and help others in need.
Dr. McDonough shares his story of survival and perseverance in "Forged Through Fire." The book is touted as a redemptive story that will encourage anyone who has suffered or watched a loved one suffer from a personal trauma, disease, or loss that has tested or stolen their faith and exhausted their emotional resources. This story can offer real hope. I do agree that it's a redemptive story, but it veers into personal life details that don't contribute to the overall theme. I wasn't sure in places if it was an autobiography or a story of overcoming challenges. But overall, it is an encouraging story.