“How do you breathe when the waves are so rough and the water crashes in your face? How do you breathe when big wave after big wave hits?”
A rebellious teenager, Natalie Lehto is pretty much a good-time party girl, until the day she discovers she’s able to run twelve minutes at a stretch. From that intoxicating first achievement, Natalie goes on to become an endurance athlete, running marathons and finishing strong at wildly challenging events like Hawaii’s XTERRA triathlon. In 2013, Natalie’s got it all: two little girls, a great husband, a wide-ranging friend-group, her own fitness studio, and a loving and supportive extended family. And she’s about to top it all off by fulfilling a long-held dream, running the legendary Boston Marathon.
But shortly after Natalie joyfully crosses the finish line with her whole family cheering her on, the horror of the marathon bombing decimates the experience. In the years to come, she will grapple with debilitating PTSD, as well as health issues, family tragedy, and loss, but through these challenges, she begins to develop a philosophy of life that keeps her motivated and determined to finish strong through whatever life throws at her. Recounted in an enormously relatable, frequently hilarious voice that nonetheless movingly conveys the oceans of fear and sorrow Natalie’s had to navigate, Like the Glide of a Dragonfly will entertain readers and inspire them in equal measure.