Every Day Is a Gift: A Memoir
- Downloads：4036
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-06-01 06:52:51
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Tammy Duckworth
- ISBN：1538718510
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER！
Learn the incredible story of Illinois senator and Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth and see what inspired her to follow the path that made her who she is today。
In Every Day Is a Gift， Tammy Duckworth takes readers through the amazing—and amazingly true—stories from her incomparable life。 In November of 2004， an Iraqi RPG blew through the cockpit of Tammy Duckworth's U。S。 Army Black Hawk helicopter。 The explosion， which destroyed her legs and mangled her right arm， was a turning point in her life。 But as Duckworth shows in Every Day Is a Gift， that moment was just one in a lifetime of extraordinary turns。
The biracial daughter of an American father and a Thai-Chinese mother， Duckworth faced discrimination， poverty， and the horrors of war—all before the age of 16。 As a child， she dodged bullets as her family fled war-torn Phnom Penh。 As a teenager， she sold roses by the side of the road to save her family from hunger and homelessness in Hawaii。 Through these experiences， she developed a fierce resilience that would prove invaluable in the years to come。
Duckworth joined the Army， becoming one of a handful of female helicopter pilots at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom。 She served eight months in Iraq before an insurgent's RPG shot down her helicopter， an attack that took her legs—and nearly took her life。 She then spent thirteen months recovering at Walter Reed， learning to walk again on prosthetic legs and planning her return to the cockpit。 But Duckworth found a new mission after meeting her state's senators， Barack Obama and Dick Durbin。 After winning two terms as a U。S。 Representative， she won election to the U。S。 Senate in 2016。 And she and her husband Bryan fulfilled another dream when she gave birth to two daughters， becoming the first sitting senator to give birth。
From childhood to motherhood and beyond， Every Day Is a Gift is the remarkable story of one of America's most dedicated public servants。
Learn the incredible story of Illinois senator and Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth and see what inspired her to follow the path that made her who she is today。
In Every Day Is a Gift， Tammy Duckworth takes readers through the amazing—and amazingly true—stories from her incomparable life。 In November of 2004， an Iraqi RPG blew through the cockpit of Tammy Duckworth's U。S。 Army Black Hawk helicopter。 The explosion， which destroyed her legs and mangled her right arm， was a turning point in her life。 But as Duckworth shows in Every Day Is a Gift， that moment was just one in a lifetime of extraordinary turns。
The biracial daughter of an American father and a Thai-Chinese mother， Duckworth faced discrimination， poverty， and the horrors of war—all before the age of 16。 As a child， she dodged bullets as her family fled war-torn Phnom Penh。 As a teenager， she sold roses by the side of the road to save her family from hunger and homelessness in Hawaii。 Through these experiences， she developed a fierce resilience that would prove invaluable in the years to come。
Duckworth joined the Army， becoming one of a handful of female helicopter pilots at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom。 She served eight months in Iraq before an insurgent's RPG shot down her helicopter， an attack that took her legs—and nearly took her life。 She then spent thirteen months recovering at Walter Reed， learning to walk again on prosthetic legs and planning her return to the cockpit。 But Duckworth found a new mission after meeting her state's senators， Barack Obama and Dick Durbin。 After winning two terms as a U。S。 Representative， she won election to the U。S。 Senate in 2016。 And she and her husband Bryan fulfilled another dream when she gave birth to two daughters， becoming the first sitting senator to give birth。
From childhood to motherhood and beyond， Every Day Is a Gift is the remarkable story of one of America's most dedicated public servants。
Reviews
Sarah
，
I didn't know who Tammy Duckworth was before reading this book， but I came away with an admiration and respect for her as a person， her service in the military， and her work in politics。 One of the most impactful quotes for me from this book: "Being a part of the United States military is a privilege and an honor。 When our country calls us to undertake a mission， we step up even if there is a personal and professional cost to us。 Citizen soldiers do this over and over and over again， and non-mil I didn't know who Tammy Duckworth was before reading this book， but I came away with an admiration and respect for her as a person， her service in the military， and her work in politics。 One of the most impactful quotes for me from this book: "Being a part of the United States military is a privilege and an honor。 When our country calls us to undertake a mission， we step up even if there is a personal and professional cost to us。 Citizen soldiers do this over and over and over again， and non-military people don't even know about it。 There's a real lack of appreciation for the sacrifices our guardsmen and reservists make。 It's taxing and exhausting work， and we as a country need to take better care of those who do it。"In this book， one of the many takeaways for me was the importance of having women in leadership positions。 We bring a different and important perspective that sheds light on the difficulties women face in a world made for men。 Through identifying these issues， positive change can follow。 。。。more
Kathy
，
Amazing story of a true warrior， advocate and woman！
Kristina
，
In 'Every Day is a Gift，' Tammy Duckworth recounts several astounding and pivotal moments in her life in an eloquent fashion， but nothing can hide the fact she's a total badass。 In 'Every Day is a Gift，' Tammy Duckworth recounts several astounding and pivotal moments in her life in an eloquent fashion， but nothing can hide the fact she's a total badass。 。。。more
Garry
，
I didn't think I would like this memoir by a politician， but she tells a good， engaging story of her life with lots of interesting insights and a fair amount of humor。 I didn't think I would like this memoir by a politician， but she tells a good， engaging story of her life with lots of interesting insights and a fair amount of humor。 。。。more
Wendy Strout
，
This was such an amazing book！！！ It reads so easily。 Sen。 Duckworth is amazing and has an extraordinary life。 She is inspiring how she faced every challenge。
Mona
，
Thank you， Senator Duckworth， for this enlightening read about our wounded soldiers， all veterans， and about you。
Bonnie
，
A really engaging and frank read about being a soldier and recovering from major devastation。 Sen。 Duckworth represents me， and I am proud to have voted for her。 She brings a necessary perspective to Congress。
Marilyn
，
Tammy’s account of her life is very down to earth and honest， no BS。 She is an amazing woman who deserves the highest respect。 A definite read。
Mary Singleton
，
Amazing humanity， humility， humor， Duckworth is my hero！
Meredith Soward
，
I learned a lot， but ultimately this was （unsurprisingly） too patriotic and pro-military for my taste。
Mina
，
I listened to this autobiography read by Senator Duckworth and thoroughly enjoyed it。 She unabashedly reveals her opinions and forceful personality。 （She is my senator and I voted for her every time， including when she lost her first campaign to be a US rep from IL。 ）
Kim
，
Was very interesting how she overcame all the things she has and her attitude is amazing。
Meghann
，
Excellent。 What an amazing story of a true American hero。 Listened to audiobook read by author。 Highly recommend。
Helen
，
Fantastic memoir。 Tammy Duckworth embodies grit， resilience， courage etc。
Bhavin
，
Must read
Anna
，
Definitely a must read Tammy’s memoir reminded me its ok and important to be honest， caring， hardworking and have a sense of humor。 Pain is part of life and finding a purpose for living will help you find the courage and strength to push through the pain。 I am so glad I read this memoir and also glad that Tammy is a Senator who’s fighting for and giving a voice to women， moms， our veterans and so many who often feel unheard。
Mary Lynn
，
During the first half of this book， I could only think that I don’t have much in common with Tammy， I wouldn’t make most of the choices she had made， and it was rather hard to empathize with her。 Through it all， we see what an extremely determined person she is。 She is probably the bravest person you will ever read about。 She has done， and continues to do， much to benefit veterans。 Did you know that the Trump administration in mid 2020 decided to end deployment of 40，000 National Guard troops on During the first half of this book， I could only think that I don’t have much in common with Tammy， I wouldn’t make most of the choices she had made， and it was rather hard to empathize with her。 Through it all， we see what an extremely determined person she is。 She is probably the bravest person you will ever read about。 She has done， and continues to do， much to benefit veterans。 Did you know that the Trump administration in mid 2020 decided to end deployment of 40，000 National Guard troops one day before they would qualify for federal retirement and education benefits？ She did not seek mental health therapy after being shot down because in 2005 the act of seeking it might have caused her to lose her security clearance and never fly again。 Because of this， many pilots who needed mental health therapy were flying。 She made it law that now all troops get mental health assessments as part of their demobilization。 We learn in this book how absolutely horrible campaigning is。 Ads by Republicans against her darkened her skin， widened her face and made her eyes look like slits。 She had children， her second one at age 50， and made the United States Senate allow her to bring her baby into the Senate chamber。 Women， and veterans especially， should be very glad that she is working in the United States Senate。 She is amazing。 。。。more
KK Shapiro
，
One of my favorite books I’ve ever read。 Powerful， inspiring， and evoked all of the emotions。 At times funny and at other times heartbreaking， you really go on this journey with Senator Duckworth from the time she is a child until her swearing into the US senate。 Incredible story of an incredible woman！
T
，
Decent read for the most part， although her narration of the audio version is quite off-putting。 I also found her political jabs to be distracting and contradictory at various points。
Deborah Cleaves
，
As much as I’ve admired what she stands for and how she stands in support， I was entirely unaware of her unique history or her late arrival to living in the US after a peripatetic tour of many Southeast Asian countries due to her father’s choices。 It is a wonder she is alive and her history is a testament to personal fortitude。 We could use more women of her caliber in the world。 She has lived through poverty and hunger giving her a fuller understanding and empathy towards those who fall through As much as I’ve admired what she stands for and how she stands in support， I was entirely unaware of her unique history or her late arrival to living in the US after a peripatetic tour of many Southeast Asian countries due to her father’s choices。 It is a wonder she is alive and her history is a testament to personal fortitude。 We could use more women of her caliber in the world。 She has lived through poverty and hunger giving her a fuller understanding and empathy towards those who fall through the cracks。 This is a story more girls should know。 She is inspiring。 。。。more
Dawn Peterson
，
Unbelievable story of this women’s life… and journey armed with strength ， grit and perseverance。 A must read！！！！！！！🇺🇸
Emily Anthon
，
I’ve been doing a bunch of memoirs lately and this one was a random grab。 I’m so glad I did。 I only knew a little about Senator Duckworth’s life but I was surprised how much I loved and related with it。 The best nuggets of advice and motivation。 Truly a must read if you’re into history making women！
Anthony Bracciante
，
This is an incredible story of survival。 Throughout her impoverished childhood; despite opposition to her desire to become an Army helicopter pilot; and during her determined recovery from what could have been a life ending RPG explosion that claimed her legs in Iraq; Amy has always continued moving forward and overcoming the challenges placed in her way。 Now a US Senator， hers is an inspirational memoir about the human spirit and the desire to excel in spite of all obstacles。
Keith
，
Very good read！ It is worth it！
Bookworm
，
With the beginning of Women's History Month I thought I'd take this off my "to read" list。 I was only familiar with the basics of Duckworth's life--lost her legs while serving， currently the Senator from Illinois， she's Thai， etc。 I know she had been rumored to be under consideration for a role（s） in the current administration so I assume this book was part of that push to familiarize her story with people。As with many of these books Duckworth takes us through her life， family and background。 It With the beginning of Women's History Month I thought I'd take this off my "to read" list。 I was only familiar with the basics of Duckworth's life--lost her legs while serving， currently the Senator from Illinois， she's Thai， etc。 I know she had been rumored to be under consideration for a role（s） in the current administration so I assume this book was part of that push to familiarize her story with people。As with many of these books Duckworth takes us through her life， family and background。 It was pretty interesting considering how little I knew--that her father had a previous family that he apparently abandoned upon meeting Duckworth's mom （although the details， the why， etc。 are apparently lost and the author acknowledges there are answers she will never get from her dad）， how her family was *very* poor growing up （something I also did not know）， to her military service and then eventual Senate seat。 I would guess that some of this is far more familiar to someone who is a constituent， so it was interesting to read up on her background and how she has a really interesting story。 It also puts some of her comments， actions， etc。 in context， which was useful。 Overall， I would say this is a book that is definitely more for people who want to get to know her。 The writing is serviceable: I'm not sure if she had a ghostwriter or not but sometimes these memoirs can be extremely tricky and hit or miss。 I wasn't compelled to hang onto every word， but it was definitely worth skimming and I'm glad I picked it up。If you're interested in her specifically， her story， what it's like being a member of multiple marginalized groups while serving in the Senate， etc。 this is probably a good pickup。 I think it'd be fairly accessible via the library but I also didn't mind getting this as a bargain buy to read on my own timeline。Library borrow is probably the way to go for a lot of readers but it'd probably make for a good gift for the right person。 。。。more
Beth
，
An amazing person。Not sure what I learned - except she's one in a million。 An amazing person。Not sure what I learned - except she's one in a million。 。。。more
Vanessa S。
，
Tammy Duckworth’s memoir begins with her life as the biracial daughter of an American father and Thai-Chinese mother while living in various Asian countries and then in the U。S。 Without getting into too much detail， Duckworth’s story is inspiring。 She joined the Army， but in 2004， her helicopter was shot down in Iraq， and as a result of the explosion， Duckworth lost both of her legs。 Duckworth also details her political career and repeatedly shows how she is the embodiment of a public servant。If Tammy Duckworth’s memoir begins with her life as the biracial daughter of an American father and Thai-Chinese mother while living in various Asian countries and then in the U。S。 Without getting into too much detail， Duckworth’s story is inspiring。 She joined the Army， but in 2004， her helicopter was shot down in Iraq， and as a result of the explosion， Duckworth lost both of her legs。 Duckworth also details her political career and repeatedly shows how she is the embodiment of a public servant。If you like reading about the immigrant experience， politics， or military life， then I highly recommend this memoir。CWs: racism， sexism， violence， gun violence， blood 。。。more
Stacie Buckley
，
4。5 stars rounded up。 Maybe not as tight as it could have been but it’s still incredible。 What an incredible woman and story。 You don’t have to align with her politics to find this awe-inducing and inspiring。 In fact precious little of this book has anything to do with politics—just a wee little bit at the end。 Tammy is a woman for whom life stacked a bunch of tough cards over and again and yet she used each to propel her forward。 I dare say most of us are not nearly as courageous as she is。
Lily
，
From her birth until her election as Illinois senator and the birth of 2 children， this book is very comprehensive。 Tammy was born from an American GI and a Chinese woman who had emigrated to Thailand （considering herself Thai）。 Unlike the great majority of children born to "visiting" soldiers， Tammy's father stayed with his wife and 2 children。 He was in the US Army Reserves， but later on he had trouble finding and keeping jobs。 Her father was from a long lineage in Virginia; he also left behi From her birth until her election as Illinois senator and the birth of 2 children， this book is very comprehensive。 Tammy was born from an American GI and a Chinese woman who had emigrated to Thailand （considering herself Thai）。 Unlike the great majority of children born to "visiting" soldiers， Tammy's father stayed with his wife and 2 children。 He was in the US Army Reserves， but later on he had trouble finding and keeping jobs。 Her father was from a long lineage in Virginia; he also left behind a wife and 3 children whom he divorced to marry Tammy's mother。 Tammy and her family lived in Thailand， Indonesia， other Asian countries before they settled in Hawaii when Tammy was a teenager。 She and her mother worked to support their family while in Hawaii。 Tammy graduated college and entered the US Army where she became a helicopter pilot。 While on a self-selected mission to fly into Iraq， she caught sniper fire which blew off one leg totally， another partially， and severely injured her right arm。 She was medevaced to Germany where she fought for her life and the saving of her right arm。 She had married prior to her flight to Iraq， and her husband stood by her side while she was at Veterans Hospital in the USA。 Her mother was also there。 Tammy eventually earned her PhD。 Later on， Tammy becomes a congresswoman and eventually a senator。 She had her first child at the age of 46 and the second at age 50 while in the Senate。 She identifies herself as a soldier and pilot quite often since those are her loves。 She seems to have been instrumental in passing legislation that benefits women and mothers。 。。。more
Dede
，