In her years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, physical therapist Adele Levine rehabilitated soldiers admitted in worse and worse shape.

But no matter the injury, physical therapy began the moment the soldiers emerged from surgery.

Days at Walter Reed were intense, chaotic, and heartbreaking, but they were also filled with fierce camaraderie and unlikely comedy.

Working in a glassed-in fishbowl gymnasium, Levine, her colleagues, and their combat-injured patients were on display at every moment to tour groups, politicians, and celebrities.

Some would tear up openly at the sight

but inside the glass and out of earshot, the PTs and the rowdy patients cracked jokes, played pranks, and compared stumps.

With dazzling storytelling, Run, Don’t Walk brings to life a motley array of characters who leap from the page, including Levine’s toughest patient- the wild, defiant Cosmo, who comes in with one leg amputated and the other leg shattered.

Deeply humane and absorbing, Run, Don’t’ Walk illuminates the pain of loss, the joy of recovery and the redemptive power of humor in the face of any challenge.

‘I’ve never read anything like Run, Don’t Walk, except possibly the first chapter of Catch-22.

Humor heals, comforts, and saves.

Don’t take my word for it.

Read this magnificent book.’

Josh Hanagarne, author of The World’s Strongest Librarian

‘A mordantly funny account of how soldiers and their rehab teams really make it through amputation, PTSD, and more … An inspiration.’

Washingtonian

‘A moving volume suffused with pain, hope, and bravery.’

Kirkus Reviews