Soul Surfer

Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board

• Genre: Nonfiction; young adult autobiography
• Originally Published: 2004
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 960L; grades 6-12
• Structure/Length: 15 chapters, preface, and end note; approximately 222 pages; approximately 3 hours, 45 minutes on audio
• Central Concern: The book recounts Bethany Hamilton's journey from a promising young surfer to a shark attack survivor fighting to regain her ability to surf. It narrates the attack that took her left arm, her recovery, and her determination to return to competitive surfing driven by her deep faith and support from her family.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Description of a shark attack and its aftermath; discussions of disability and recovery; strong religious themes

Bethany Hamilton, Author

• Bio: Born 1990; professional surfer from Hawaii; lost her left arm in a shark attack at age 13; made an inspiring comeback to professional surfing; uses her platform to inspire others and advocate for people with amputations; committed Christian; promotes a message of resilience and faith
• Other Works: Body and Soul: A Girl's Guide to a Fit, Fun and Fabulous Life (2014); Be Unstoppable: The Art of Never Giving Up (2018)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Faith in God Enables You to Overcome Any Challenge
• Community Is Critical to Surviving Hardships
• Resilience Is the Key to Dealing with Loss
• Fate Guides Life and Gives It Meaning

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the social and historical contexts around surf culture, which serves as a backdrop to Hamilton’s memoir.
• Study paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Faith in God, Community, Resilience, and how Fate Guides Life.
• Research and present another religious tradition outside of Christianity that embraces surf culture to broaden understanding of how spirituality and surfing connect in Soul Surfer.
• Analyze and appraise the author’s purpose and techniques to draw conclusions in structured essay responses on the concept of “theodicy,” the genre of memoir, and other topics.