I AM A Miracle by Clyde Hoch

I AM A Miracle details the life of Clyde Hoch. From his upbringing in a poverty-stricken family to his achievements in adult hood. Clyde’s brother in law abused him. His father swore at him. His mother quit cleaning. He entered the Marine corps and was injured in a large anti-tank mine from which he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. He tried his best to hide his injuries until late in life he was diagnosed with PTSD and TBI. He started to speak about it to help others understand they too can live with it. He went through a very long stage of alcoholism. Clyde started the Veterans Brotherhood. An organization that takes homeless veterans off the streets as soon as they hear about them, when they are at their lowest with nowhere to turn, hoping to prevent veteran suicides. Some details are very embarrassing to the writer. The main purpose of his writing is to let people know that even though they had a very bad upbringing they can still achieve. Determination and trusting God is the key to any success.

‘The biggest barriers people have are the ones they put on themselves.’

Reviewed by Piaras on October 9, 2020 for Emerald Book Reviews.

As the author states in his introduction his sole purpose in writing this book is to inspire people to continue to plug away and to make their lives better. He would also like to leave the world a better place than when he came into it. He would like people to understand they can endure almost anything that life throws at them.

‘Life is a wonderful combination of difficult experiences that are paradoxically intertwined with experiences of happiness in our lives. The difficult experiences are usually surprising, and we will never be ready for them. However, they make us resilient and make us appreciate what is there. Therefore, even with difficulty, one must not forget to be grateful. Because showing gratitude is a source of power that connects great faith and hope.’

I AM A Miracle by Clyde Hoch is a powerful and inspirational story about a man’s triumph over poverty and adversary. It was a brilliant read that will leave you feeling like a better person for having read it. It’s an impressive work by the founder of a nonprofit organization called Veterans Brotherhood, an international award-winning author, and a highly-decorated United States Marine Corps Veteran who heroically served in Vietnam as a tank commander.

People write memoirs to fixate, analyze, share, or rethink past events. This book refers to important and significant moments in the authors life. I’ll be looking forward to reading more from this author in the future. I would highly recommend this very open, honest and frank autobiography. A well-deserved five stars from me.