Overview

""Mommy burned up."" On a cloudy day in August 2003, Grace and Lily Pearson, 4 and 3, were flying in their uncle's plane along with their mother on their way to their grandpa's birthday party near Lake Superior, when Lily noticed the trees out the window were growing close; so close she could almost touch them. Before the trees tore into the cabin, Grace had the strange sensation of falling through clouds. A story of tragedy, survival, and justice, Damian Fowler's Falling Through Clouds is about a young father's fight for his family in the wake of a plane crash that killed his wife, badly injured his two daughters, and thrust him into a David-vs-Goliath legal confrontation with a multi-billion dollar insurance company. Blindsided when he was sued in federal court by this insurance company, Toby Pearson made it his mission to change aviation insurance law in his home state and nationally, while nursing his daughters to recovery and recreating his own life. Falling Through Clouds charts the dramatic journey of a man who turned a personal tragedy into an important victory for himself, his girls, and many other Americans.

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9781250068477

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Reviews

A sensitive portrayal of a family tragedy needlessly escalated by the insensitive bureaucracy of insurance companies. -- Kirkus Falling Through Clouds balances this David vs. Goliath legal fight against the devastating emotional and physical recoveries of all parties... The judicial and statutory resolutions that Toby Pearson and his lawyer finally effect are indeed remarkable, but what trumps all the legal machinations are Grace and Lily's survival. -Minneapolis Star Tribune Poignant...the story of the Pearson children's recovery is truly stirring. -- Colleen Mondor, Booklist In FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS Damian Fowler has captured the drama, narrative sweep and broad implications of one family's remarkable encounter with tragedy and injustice. It strikes me as another A CIVIL ACTION by Jonathan Harr, but with even more drama and pathos. --James B. Stewart, Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and bestselling author of DisneyWar Falling Through Clouds is a story of unthinkable pain and loss. Yet ultimately it's the story of survival -- a harrowing testament to human love, strength and resilience. --Patrick Smith, author of Cockpit Confidential This story had my heart from the first page, and it has stayed with me since. For anyone who has ever suffered through any sort of tragedy, this story reminds us that beauty often rises up from despair. It is beautifully written and gripping from start to finish. --Sarah Smiley, author of Dinner with the Smileys and Going Overboard Falling Through Clouds is a gripping, emotional and wonderfully written narrative of tragedy and triumph, social justice, and the bonds of love. Most of all, it is a tale of one father's determined struggle to care for two little girls who survived an unthinkable catastrophe. If you like David v. Goliath narratives where the little guy overcomes all odds, you will devour this book. --David Kirby, author of Death at SeaWorld, Animal Factory, and Evidence of Harm When he first heard about the Pearson family, Fowler only had planned on writing a longer magazine-style piece. But then he talked to Toby Pearson on the phone...Early on, Fowler felt an obligation to tell the Pearson family's story and tell it right. --Pioneer Press

Author Information

DAMIAN FOWLER, former BBC reporter and New York based journalist, spent three years researching the Pearson family saga. Fowler has written for Vanity Fair, Vogue, The Guardian, The Financial Times Magazine, and The Times of London, among others.

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