The Bear's Embrace is a candid, moving and beautifully written account of survival and recovery. Althrough grizzly attacks on humans are rare, they are often fatal. Van Tighem's reconstruction of the attack itself is vivid and disturbing. But her depiction of putting her life back together is just as compelling. Her facial disfigurement makes reentry into the world as challenging as her reconstructive surgery is painful. The nightmares that haunt her carry their own psychological burden.

Van Tighem comes to embrace the knowledge her experiences bring, and she details the long road back to equilibrium with perception and humor. A story of love and rage, bravery and terror, of what it means to look and feel different in a culture that values perfection, The Bear's Embrace explores the nature of human identity with uncommon honesty and understanding.