In a Heartbeat
Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving
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4.4 • 151 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
For the first time, the remarkable couple depicted in The Blind Side tells their own deeply inspiring story
First came the bestselling book, then the Oscar-nominated movie—the story of Michael Oher and the family who adopted him has become one of the most talked-about true stories of our time. But until now, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy have never told this astonishing tale in their own way and with their own words.
For Leigh Anne and Sean, it all begins with family. Leigh Anne, the daughter of a tough-as-nails U.S. Marshal, decided early on that her mission was to raise children who would become "cheerful givers." Sean, who grew up poor, believed that one day he could provide a home that would be "a place of miracles." Together, they raised two remarkable children—Collins and Sean Jr.—who shared their deep Christian faith and their commitment to making a difference. And then one day Leigh Anne met a homeless African-American boy named Michael and decided that her family could be his. She and her husband taught Michael what this book teaches all of us: Everyone has a blind side, but a loving heart always sees a path toward true charity.
Michael Oher's improbable transformation could never have happened if Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy had not opened their hearts to him. In this compelling, funny, and profoundly inspiring book, In a Heartbeat, the Tuohys take us on an extraordinary journey of faith and love—and teach us unforgettable lessons about the power of giving.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Those familiar with the film The Blind Side, or Michael Lewis's best-selling book, will likely already know the inspiring story of how the Tuohys took future-NFL star Michael Oher into their home and adopted him. For anyone wondering what more there might be to say about it, the answer is: plenty. In a Heartbeat finds the Tuohys attempting to determine what it was that made them reach out to the homeless African-American boy they saw walking down the street in a t-shirt and shorts on a winter's day. Leigh Anne and Sean had known tough times themselves and had put themselves on the lookout for troubled kids in need of help. As a white, southern, church-going family, they defy red-state/blue-state stereotypes (for instance, by sending their teen-age daughter to a seminar fostering racial and social justice); though Leigh Anne has been described as a "gun-toting Republican Christian," and admits to carrying weapons, she also claims to cross "party lines all the time." With Jenkins's help they write with humor about their quirks and the joy that Michael brought to their family, finally arriving at the belief that "we can all change people's lives by investing time in individuals."
Customer Reviews
Easy read in a very personally challenging sort of way!
Thank you Touhey family for inviting us into your imperfect lives, yet showing us the value of giving to others!
The short sections make this an easy book to go through, or maybe it to allow you a good "stopping point" to digest what you just read and find ways to apply it to your own life!
I a heartbeat
This was a wonderful read and gives you a more in depth look at the family. I loved the blindside and it was good to get more perspective on this family.
This book will challenge you to get up and give more of yourself and invest in people.
This story does the heart good!
I loved the movie, but this book brings out so much more of the story. As a family who has taken in one family of three and a single mother of two over the years until they could get back on their feet, it's so good to know that there are other people out there with big hearts.
Thank you for sharing your incredible story of love!