Sam Bloom: Heartache & Birdsong

by Bradley Trevor Greive, Cameron Bloom, Samantha Bloom

The follow-up to the ABIA award-winning, international bestselling sensation Penguin Bloom

The heart-warming Australian story Penguin Bloom - the miraculous tale of a baby magpie that helped save a young mother and her family - is a homegrown and international bestseller; soon to be a major Hollywood movie, starring Naomi Watts and Andrew Lincoln. Sam's personal message at the end of the book has resonated powerfully with readers - where, pulling no punches, she writes about what it is really like to face life in a wheelchair.

In Sam Bloom, Sam tells her own story for the first time - how a shy but determined Australian girl became a nurse and travelled across Africa. How she fell in love with a like-minded free spirit, raised three boys and built a life together on Sydney's Northern Beaches. And then, in a single horrific moment, how everything changed. Sam's journey back from the edge of death and the depths of despair is so much more than an account of overcoming adversity. Sam's captivating true story - written by close friend, New York Times bestselling author Bradley Trevor Greive, and featuring extraordinary photographs taken by Sam's husband, Cameron Bloom - is humbling, heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure. A triumph of raw emotion and incredible beauty, Sam Heartache & Birdsong is a truly unforgettable book.

Penguin Bloom is soon to be a major motion picture starring Naomi Watts, Andrew Lincoln, Jacki Weaver and Rachel House.

PRAISE FOR PENGUIN

'A unique and remarkable insight into a family dealing with tragedy and finding their way through it with love, courage and hope' - Naomi Watts

'a coffee-table book that will make hearts soar' - Daily Telegraph

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, Book Club, Australia

Kindle Edition

Published September 2, 2020

About the author

Bradley Trevor Greive (BTG) is one of Australia's most prolific and successful authors. He has written 20 books which have been translated into 27 different languages, and have been sold in 115 different countries. Several of which have appeared in the New York Times bestseller list. Greive's work has won multiple awards worldwide and has sold more than 20 million copies. He lives mostly in Tasmania, Australia.

Greive rose to prominence as an author in 2000 with the release of his hugely successful Blue Day Book, a collection of amusing animal photos and inspirational text designed to "lift the spirits of anyone who has got the blues." Since then he has published in excess of 20 books and has won numerous awards for his work, including the ABA Book of the Year Award (2000), the APA Best Designed Children’s Non-fiction Book Award (2003) and numerous #1 placings in bestseller lists across the world. Greive's work has been published on 6 continents and has sold in excess of 20 million copies to date.

Reviews

[Mark Porton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam Bloom: Heartache & Birdsong is an emotional memoir, written by Sam who suffered a catastrophic accident in Thailand in 2013 while on holiday with her husband and three boys. Sam suffered severe injuries, resulting in her being paralysed from the chest down. As a physically active person, who loved to travel and get amongst it – her life changed forever.

This memoir starts with Bloom’s childhood – which included working in her father’s Newport Beach bakery in Sydney’s north, her love of surfing and the beginning of her relationship with her husband Cam. She loved the ocean - something that i still very much a part of her life. We witness the couple's shared love of travel, as they visit many ‘off the beaten track’ places, and they eventually settled down and had three boys together.

Sam’s journey to overcome her shocking injuries is described in detail, as are her struggles. One thing I really appreciated about this story was her honesty in stating - “this isn’t a motivational story” and if the reader is looking for someone who is “at one with her wheelchair” – it’s best to look somewhere else. In this way, Bloom’s story is brutally honest, and genuinely faithful to how so many people cope with serious, life-changing/threating illness or injury. She nailed it.

But for me, the prize goes to the baby magpie, named ‘Penguin’, who fell out of a nest and became a member of the Bloom family and was instrumental in Sam’s recovery. This part was truly heart-warming, and further illustrates the beautiful hearts animals possess. This is explained further in the best-selling Penguin Bloom book.

Check out the book cover picture taken by Sam’s photographer husband Cam; it is one of the best photos I’ve seen in a while. Keep in mind this bird has so many of us running for cover during springtime, as they swoop pedestrians and cyclists sometimes causing damage to unsuspecting scalps.




Highly recommended, genuine, honest, tender story.

4 Stars

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read and loved Penguin Bloom: The Odd Little Bird Who Saved a Family in 2019, and when I saw Sam Bloom: Heartache & Birdsong was available, I grabbed it. Penguin Bloom: The Odd Little Bird Who Saved a Family is in the process of becoming a movie which will be one worth seeing.

Penguin, the little magpie that fell from his nest, and was rescued by Samantha Bloom and her family, saved Sam in her downward spiral after the horrific accident which changed her life, and that of her family's - Cameron, her husband, plus the three boys - forever. Sam Bloom: Heartache & Birdsong is Sam's story, in her own voice, accompanied by beautiful photos taken by photographer husband Cam. Their lives of adventure, investigating parts of the world they'd only dreamed of, prior to their marriage, then with the ten year break when they returned home to Sydney, when the three boys were born, continued with their first family adventure to Thailand. And that was where life changed...

I highly recommend these two fabulous non-fiction books for anyone who hasn't read them. The heartbreak of Sam's near death experience and what followed is inspirational, with Sam Bloom: Heartache & Birdsong by Aussie author Bradley Trevor Greive one I'll always remember. It certainly makes one realise how lucky we are and how there are always others worse off. Life can change in an instant!

[Colleen Fauchelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last year was hard for us and I am not talking Covid, my brother in law died, my auntie died and my heart stopped and I now have a pacemaker. I want to read some Non Fiction on how others cope in personal trials and this was a good place to start. Sam does not sugar coat her life in a wheel chair, she is honest about her struggles and I liked that because we don't have to be perfect in our personal struggles but what we do have to do is find the strength to take one day at a time and live this life in the best way we can. It also helps to have loving support around you.
Thank you Sam for your honesty.

[Michelle Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read Penguin Bloom, about the baby magpie who fell into Sam Bloom and her family’s life.. this is the second book.. ‘inspiring’ doesn’t seem an adequate word to describe Sam.. she tells it like it is.. part of the charm is the family’s relationship with Penguin, and the beautiful photographs throughout the book.. I loved it..the relationship between human and animal just amazes me.. reminded me of another book of a woman who was bedridden who had at her bedside, a snail, which she observed over many months in The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating.. I have not looked at a snail in the same way since reading it.

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling, beautiful and moving account of Sam Bloom’s life before and after her accident. A must read if you enjoyed Penguin Bloom.

POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2021: #34 - A book you think your best friend would like

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Bloom is brutally honest about her account and how it affects her emotionally, physically and mentally every day. She is quite an extraordinary woman with a huge heart, incredibly strong and despite devastating hardships has rebuilt her new life in amazing ways. I love the fact that she doesn't pop rose tinted glasses on as so many do, "It was a gift having a major accident and the way it transformed my life" blah blah blah total BS. I wish the movie honed more into what this account has to offer.

[Carmel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Sam Bloom’s follow up book to her much loved book Penguin Bloom. Sam, if you don’t know, suffered a horrendous spinal injury after a balcony collapsed at her holiday hotel in Thailand. She hated everything about her life - wheelchair bound and unable to be the mother and wife she hoped to be as well as being unable to surf and be active. A wild bird saved her by providing a new perspective on her life and that became the story of “Penguin Bloom”. This is an excellent very short ( I listened to it all on my work commute today) follow up to provide a perspective on her life now - a few years on from when Penguin left the household. It is a simply told viewpoint that is engaging and inspiring. Life isn’t fair but there is always hope and joy to be found. What an incredible humble woman.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a gutsy young woman. Her world travels were inspiring, I especially enjoyed her adventures in Africa. She’s lucky to have had these once in a lifetime experiences before her fall. Half a dream fulfilled is better than never have attained a goal at all.

In spite of her paralysis, she keeps going and achieves more than she thought would ever again be possible. More power to her.

Penguin the Magpie added a bit of nostalgia to her story. I’m going to read about her in the other book.

[Phillip Bouffler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A humbling lesson on living.
Showcasing the inexhaustible and abundant nature of gratitude, love, and hope.

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oooh, what a book! Another powerful punch in the guts. This story is told by Sam Bloom of her experience with the spinal injury that changed her life together.

This book gives us the before tragedy and after tragedy understanding of who Sam is. The glimpse into Sam's early life demonstrates the amazing woman she is. Pre married life, Sam had such wonderful nursing experiences, including working with Dr Catherine Hamlin in Africa for the reparation of obstetric fistula. She had a sense of adventure and travelled the world.

This is raw, and Sam tells us about her darkest days, and what Penguin the Magpie meant for her on her road to acceptance. Her remarkable journey from awful is awe-inspiring. I highly recommend this, and Penguin Bloom by her husband.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s certainly and insight into how one copes/does not cope with a catastrophic event. The compassion and understanding shown by her family is inspiring. It’s pretty personal, but I’d have liked to hear how the husband coped.

[Ita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam tells her story so honestly, amazing. It's hard to read but halfway through the book it gets easier and I'm glad stuck with it.

[Nikki Balzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helps you appreciate the life you have ,how quickly it can change and how much there is out there to help you enjoy it.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having followed Sam's story over the years, it was enlightening to read it in her own words. I admire her honesty and rawness. The accompanying photos by her husband really add to the poignancy of the book, and the layout makes it a quick yet absorbing read. Although Sam warns readers not to expect an uplifting read, she does draw some positives and personal growth from the tragedy, without any sugercoating. The movie is awesome too!

[Joanne Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this short audio book… so honest and told beautifully
Audio was so well done

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, compelling, tragic, honest. Keep tissues nearby.

[Frank Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sam Bloom wurde berühmt, als sie zum ersten Mal erzählte, wie ein Vogel ihr das Leben rettete, als sie am Boden zerstört mit ihrem Schicksal haderte. 2017 erschien das erste Buch der Familie Bloom, das sich im Wesentlichen auf den Vogel konzentrierte. Dieses zweite Buch konzentriert sich auf Sam Bloom, die biografisch von ihren Leben erzählt. Kurz geht sie zu Beginn auf ihr „früheres“ Leben ein und schildert kurz und knapp, wie sie ihren Träumen nachgegangen ist und die Welt erkundete. Anschließend gründete sie eine Familie und wähnte sich im perfekten Leben.

Bis bei 36% des Buchs ein Unfall ihr Leben vollkommen umkrempelte. Das erste Buch hatte noch zum Untertitel: „Der kleine Vogel, der unsere Familie rettete“. Nur welche Rolle spielt denn nun der Vogel im Leben der Familie bzw. vom Sam Bloom? Diese Frage wird ab ca. 57% des Buchs beantwortet:

"In gewisser Weise war ich bereits gestorben.

Aber dann brachte mich ein kleiner Vogel zurück ins Leben."

Und einen Absatz später:

"Noch heute staune ich darüber, dass zwei glänzende Augen und ein paar Gramm Flaum genügten, um mich aus meiner bitteren Besinnungslosigkeit zu ziehen, und dass sie dabei helfen konnten, meine Familie zu retten. Aber genau das ist passiert."

Es folgen viele emotionale Momente, die Sam Bloom immer noch sehr kurz und knapp schildert, bis sie es selbst auf den Punkt bringt:

"Ich hatte gedacht, ich würde ihr Leben retten, aber in Wahrheit rettete sie meins." (bei 61% des eBooks)

Sie hatte durch den Unfall eine Querschnittslähmung davongetragen, mit der sie bis heute hadert und an der sie bis heut nichts Positives abringen kann (im Gegensatz zu anderen Menschen mit ähnlichem Schicksal, die ganz andere Bücher geschrieben haben).

Das Buch lebt nicht nur vom Text, sondern im Wesentlichen von den Fotos, die die Textpassagen begleiten. Der Ehemann, Vater und Co-Autor des Buchs Cameron Bloom arbeitet hauptberuflich als Fotograf, was man den gezeigten Fotos sehr deutlich anmerkt (von den Urlaubsschnappschüssen mal abgesehen). Oftmals haben die Fotos einen direkten Bezug zum Text, im Mittelteil dienen sie eher der atmosphärischen Umrahmung des Buchs.

Die Mischung aus dem kurzen und knappen Texten von Sam Bloom zusammen mit den Fotos macht dieses Buch sehr lesenswert. Es gibt natürlich ein paar Wiederholungen bezogen auf das erste Buch, aber grundsätzlich merkt man dem Buch an, dass die Autorin älter geworden ist und ihren Platz im Leben gefunden hat.

Fazit

Sam Bloom wollte kein Mut-Mach-Buch schreiben und sie sieht sich nicht als Inspiration für andere Menschen. Zu tief hat dieser Unfall sie nach unten gezogen, zu sehr war sie am Boden zerstört. Im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes. Es gibt sehr viele emotionale Szenen, die sehr passend mit erstklassigen Fotos untermalt sind. Dass der Text etwas knapp ausgefallen ist, tut dem Buch überhaupt keinen Abbruch. Ganz im Gegenteil, denn dadurch konzentriert sich das Buch auf das Wesentliche, zumal das Buch es geradezu einfordert, mehrfach gelesen zu werden.

[Planet Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt the full spectrum of emotions reading this true story of Sam, an active, life-loving, travel-loving nurse and mother of three who has a terrible accident.

Penguin the magpie is an intriguing story in itself. I had previously followed the Instagram account featuring this wild bird who behaves like a pet which has been captured in gorgeous photographs. I didn’t know the story behind it.

Birdsong and Heartache tells the heart-breaking story of life before and after the accident with no frills. The text is interspersed with full colour photographs of penguin, who managed to bring Sam back from a dark mental place.

I love animals, so of course I was going to love this story. And, I don’t think Sam gives herself enough credit for how well she is living her life in a wheelchair. I don’t know if her intention is to inspire, advocate for spinal cord injuries or just to tell her story and touch people’s hearts. Somehow she does all three.

Now there is a movie that has just been released. I almost always prefer the book to movies but maybe I’ll go out and see this one.

Loved it, five stars.

[Anita Horan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am Australian, but did not know anything about Sam's story. I just finished her memoir (written by Bradley Greive) and watched the movie. Both are heartbreaking and beautiful in equal measure.

Although Sam's story is specific to her life and accident, I found many overlaps with my own life, experience of loss, grief, growth and the amazing healing ability of animals. Loving the ocean and being a photographer, like Sam's husband, added an extra level of relatability for me.

I enjoyed that Sam did not sugarcoat the difficulties and was so honest.

I looked up a video of Sam surfing and it made my heart soar. X

[Ash (Ash's adventures in books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an interesting read

I recently heard of this book and the movie based on the first one which is coming out in early January and I knew I had to read up about it before I see the movie.

I read this in one sitting and it was fascinating to hear just how deeply the accident not only affected Sam, but those around her.

Sam doesn't shy away from the fact the the accident left her feeling bitter and resentful and how quickly life can change in the blink of an eye. This is definitely a story I would recommend that you put on your tbr immediately.

[Suzie B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sam Bloom does not shy away from her feelings of what life is like living in a wheelchair, after a tragic accident. She doesn’t sugarcoat her emotions or how she feels about herself and her situation. She does however see light in life and the everyday and sends the message that no matter what you are doing through in life, things will get better. They may never be perfect or what you expected, but things will improve from rock bottom.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sequel to Penguin Bloom, the story of how a magpie saved a family, this book by Sam Bloom, who as a young mother had an injury which leaves her paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, describes how she comes to terms with her life. It is a both a sad and uplifting account by an intelligent, thinking woman. I loved it, as I did the book and movie Penguin Bloom. Read it in one day. The accompanying photographs are lovely.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully, compelling raw look at Sam Blooms life post, a life altering accident.

This Is the kind of book that you will read, and then pick up and read again. I’m sure with every read you will take something different from it ... a lovely keepsake book not only full of food for thought, but breath taking photography from all over the world.

[Kellie Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem of a book! This is just what I needed to read right now; I will be recommending it to my children too. It’s beautifully illustrated and filled with hope & wisdom. I devoured each page and loved every single second I spent immersed in Sam’s story. Thank you for reminding me of all that is good in this world and the power we hold within.

[Bbearbeez · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing addition to this moving story. This was very real and raw, and just like the first book it was a struggle to hold myself together. Sam's life and story is just incredible in so many different ways and I admire the honesty that's put forward in this book. I loved every second of reading this.

[Kimberley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst not so much about birds, I loved the rawness and realness of Sam's thoughts and enjoyed her story. Read it in one sitting. Accompanied with Cameron's gorgeous photographs. It's a beautiful book that would make an ideal present, just as the first book did.

[Sami Ashcroft · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book just as much as Penguin Bloom. Hearing Sam’s views on life and disability is so honest and motivating. This story really helps you appreciate how fragile life can be while encouraging you to live every day to it’s fullest.

[Malvina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read 'Penguin Bloom' last year, so reading this was always going to happen. Unflinchingly honest about her horrendously difficult road back - and still horrendously difficult life - from her accident. The photos taken by her husband are incredible.

[Ruth Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam Bloom tells her own story so it is pretty raw and emotional. I haven't yet read Penguin Bloom, but this book makes me glad that Sam and a needy baby magpie were able to make a difference in each other's lives.

[Moorspede · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't realise this was a sequel when I picked it up. I thought it was about a magpie, I was to be disappointed. I'm very glad I didn't pay for the book but the photographs spoke to a very cute and quirky bird, but there were no anecdotes. Ok, I thought, I will read the first book, and I did.