Monday, September 16, 2013

The World's Strongest Librarian

The World's Strongest Librarian: A memoir of Tourette's, faith, strength, and the power of family by Joshua Hanagarne  291 pp.

As the title suggests, this book is about the author conquering the odds and learning to live with Tourette's syndrome, becoming a husband and father, and having a career as a librarian.  The random Tourette's tics which range from minor (blinking) to violent (hitting himself) affected Hanagarne's life, physically, socially, and emotionally. From the time he fell in love with Fern in Charlotte's Web books became his refuge. When engrossed in a book his Tourette's tics subsided. The tics were at their worst during Hanagarne's time as a Mormon missionary, causing him to quit before his two years were up. He dropped out of college multiple times before finally finishing. With the help and unflagging support of his family he tried various treatments including having his vocal cords paralyzed with Botox injections, quack remedies, and exercise. Ultimately he overcame (but has not conquered) the problems and became a librarian at the main Salt Lake City Public Library. He married, and fathered a child. The title is a nod to his passion for weight training and his 6'7" frame. It was through weigh-lifting he found another way of controlling his tics. This is a story of a man's incredible persistence and perseverance told with honesty and humor.

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