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I Am the Central Park Jogger

A Story of Hope and Possibility

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About The Book

A timeless, “triumphant” (Entertainment Weekly) story of healing and recovery from the victim of a crime that shocked the nation: the Central Park Jogger. As featured in When They See Us—the Netflix limited series created, written, and directed by Ava DuVernay that retells the story of the Central Park Five, the young men wrongly accused of this crime.

Shortly after 9:00 p.m. on April 19, 1989, a young woman jogs alone near 102nd Street in New York City's Central Park. She is attacked, raped, savagely beaten, and left for dead. Hours later she arrives at the emergency room—comatose—she has lost so much blood that her doctors believe it’s a miracle she's still alive. Meet Trisha Meili, the Central Park Jogger.

I Am the Central Park Jogger recounts the mesmerizing, inspiring, often wrenching story of human strength and transcendent recovery. Called “Hero of the Month” by Glamour magazine, Meili tells us who she was before the attack—a young Wall Street professional with a promising future—and who she has become: a woman who learned how to read, write, walk, talk, and love again...and turn horrifying violence and certain death into extraordinary healing and victorious life. With “moments of unexpected grace and insights into life’s challenges….Meili’s story—the story the public never knew—is unforgettable” (The Buffalo News).

About The Author

Product Details

  • Publisher: Scribner (April 13, 2004)
  • Length: 288 pages
  • ISBN13: 9780743244381

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Raves and Reviews

"A moving account... an elegant testimony."

– Leslie Jamison, The New York Times

"The best hero stories are never about facing and vanquishing an enemy, though that might be the narrative. The real showdown is with one's self... Trisha Meili had to figure out why life was worth the pain of forging ahead when giving in offered painless escape... Maybe until you're in such a predicament, you can't mine your soul for its hidden steel."

– San Francisco Chronicle

"Told without anger or resentment, it will comfort and inspire anyone who has suffered a horrible trauma -- and many who haven't."

– The New York Times Book Review

"The tale of her recovery is also a passionate and inspirational guide for those suffering from traumatic brain injuries and other seemingly insurmountable, debilitating conditions."

– Cleveland Plain Dealer

"The book is inspirational and encompasses the power of the human spirit. Through it, Meili is seen not as a victim, but as a survivor."

– San Antonio Express-News

"Riveting."

– Orlando Sentinel

"Inspiring others in their recovery appears to be [Meili's] role in what she calls her 'second life.' She has made a good start with this book."

– Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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