A book review of Shaking in the Forest: Finding Light in the Darkness by Lori R. Hodges
Stars: ****
KoehlerBooks (2024)
Inspiration & Personal Growth
172 pages
Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links.
Summary: What do you do when faced with trauma? Shaking in the Forest opens with a plane crash and ends with a life-threatening illness. At the age of twenty-five, Lori Hodges chose to make a career helping people during the worst days of their lives. She has spent the last thirty years in emergency services-first as a firefighter and paramedic and later as an emergency manager, helping to coordinate the response and recovery to disasters. It is through this work that she has come to see the beauty in tragedy.
The most difficult times often teach us the greatest lessons, and our connections to others give us the power to face the unknown. It is through these relationships – whether brief or long-lasting – that we are able to step forward confidently into a new day. Bridging the lessons Lori learned as a paramedic with her own personal trauma, Shaking in the Forest brings light to the darkness to help each of us find a way to thrive even during our most difficult days.
Shaking in the Forest
This book is labelled as Inspiration and Personal Growth which it is, but it also is part Paramedic memoir. I liked both parts of it. I love reading medical memoirs and this had the added bonus of sharing her personal journey as well.
NOTE: This book covers sensitive topics and has a content warning at the beginning for medical emergency descriptions as well as personal recollections of childhood trauma (suicide, sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse and other trauma.) Just be warned before you read.
It’s horrible that she experienced those but it also means the inspiration and growth parts of the book may be relevant to a large group of people who have been through trauma.
The book is well written and engaging throughout. It’s not very long and so can be read fairly quickly depending on your reading speed.
It also documents the author’s journey to being first an EMT, then a Paramedic, then Emergency Management. I didn’t even realize EMT and Paramedic weren’t the same. Now I know. If anyone is interested in becoming either, this book will give you insight into what it’s like.
The only reason it’s 4 stars and not 5 is because I didn’t personally care for a lot of the talk about supernatural things such as sensing spirits and such that was also included. But if you enjoy that, it’s 5 stars.
Buy Shaking in the Forest at Amazon.com