In 1948, at the age of eleven and before the advent of life-saving vaccines, Martha Mason contracted polio. Although she survived the disease itself, it left her a quadriplegic confined to an iron lung, and her parents were advised that she would not live out the year. Martha not only exceeded those discouraging estimates regarding her potential life expectancy, but graduated as valedictorian from high school, earned a college degree, and lived to the astounding age (under the circumstances) of 71. She lived in her iron lung for 61 years, and this is her autobiography.

The experience, or even the idea, of an iron lung is more or less foreign today, so this was a quite fascinating read, as well as a curious peek into a time gone by. NB: As of 2014 there remained 10 people worldwide still living in iron lungs. ( )

Recommended by my librarian. I enjoyed the read and found myself thinking back to my childhood in the fifties when polio was a real threat. I recall my father taking me to visit a child confined to an iron lung. I can't imagine living a lifetime in that state. However, Martha Mason focused on her life and experiences more than she does the challenges of living in a machine. ( )

Martha Mason was an amazing woman. With each chapter, I continued to be in awe of all that she accomplished after being struck with Polio at the age of 12. My favorite part of the memoir was about her childhood. I got a true glimpse of what it was like to be a child in the 1940's, with strong, loving parents, a teasing big brother and lots of friends. Martha experiences a significant loss at a young age, and her health is compromised soon after.
I strongly recommend this memoir. I think it is safe to say that this is the most powerful memoir that I have read to date. With each passing chapter, I grew more fond of Martha and her mother and their loving care-givers. The fact that Martha never let her polio paralysis stop her from anything was truly amazing. ( )