Overview

Bittersweet: A Story of Abuse and Recovery, is an autobiography that reads like a novel. In it, Emma Avery tells of her journey through childhood rejection, sexual abuse, and brutal physical and emotional violence at the hands of adults who should have known better. Through it all, Emma maintains her composure, her determination, and most of all, her peace. In Bittersweet, she tells us how she survives and thrives.Emma Avery is a bilateral double leg amputee from the age of 16 who has worked as a laborer, a nail technician, a janitor, and a peer mentor. Community Living Services, an agency that provides services to people with life challenges and has been an important support resource for Emma, has provided substantial financial support for this project. Bittersweet is her first book.

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9781536835304

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Emma has lived through some of the cruelest times that any one person can live through. Here, she tells her story in hopes that it will inspire others to get up and live in spite of the adversities life hands them. She is positive, honest, warm, loving, caring and giving ... that's why she was given the nickname Sunshyne. The author's life started in the very Deep South in the small farming community of Wrens, Georgia, where she grew up with her grandparents and five other siblings. Emma loved sports and was named Athlete of the Year in 1963 from Jefferson County High School of Louisville, Georgia. Shortly after that, tragedy struck when she and several of her family members were hit by a train while driving. The accident left Emma a bilateral double-leg amputee. Emma wouldn't allow something as life-changing as that stop her from living a life filled with wonder and joy, despite its many ups and downs. Learning to walk again using two prostheses wasn't easy, but Emma prevailed and was able to walk strong and well for many years without assistance. She drove a car and did numerous things that some people with their natural legs would never even attempt. Emma puts her head and heart in everything she sets out to do. She knew that she had a rough road to travel, and she knew in her heart she wouldn't be walking alone. In the midst of it all, she found her way through by the grace of God and the guidance of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Avery always kept herself busy, taking on a janitorial job just to prove she could do it; and went from one challenging job to another until she found her heart's work at Independence University, an extension of the Great Lakes Center for Independent Living in Detroit, Michigan. Here, she shared with individuals with disabilities of all kinds as a Peer Counselor, Class Facilitator, and Motivator. She was also affiliated with the Toastmasters, a public speaking group. Emma has shared her story as a guest on television, radio, and as a speaker. She has appeared on Detroit television talk shows Kelly and Company and Just Ask; WDET Radio, and as a guest speaker for the Commission for the Blind, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and churches such as the Congregation of Jesus Christ Apostolic in Detroit. She has appeared in her hometown newspapers and several other publications.

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