Gone: A Memoir of Love, Body, and Taking Back My Life

“Olson’s riveting narrative is about love and devotion as much as it is about attitude and tenacity… Inspirational, gripping, and a testament to positive thinking.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This memoir is a distilled look at the sheer power of the human mind, and Olson’s mind is a particularly incredible example.” —Affinity Magazine, Sophia Moore

“A heart-rending, heroic memoir of resilience and love, that reminds us all about how precious life is and how important it is to fight for it.”
—Drs. Thomas Patterson and Steffanie Strathdee, co-authors of The Perfect Predator: A Scientist’s Race to Save her Husband from a Deadly Superbug

“An unbelievable journey from hell, back to some degree of normal living. A must read for anybody recovering from traumatic injury.” 
—U.S. Senator Max Cleland (Ret.), Author of Strong at the Broken Places 

“This is an incredible story of survival following an horrific accident. It is first and foremost the story of Linda’s personal journey of courage and resiliency…You will read this with awe and wonder.”
—Frederic G. Sanford M.D., Rear Admiral, Medical Corps U.S. Navy, Retired 

Learn More about Gone.

Gone featured in Parade magazine as one of the 24 best memoirs of the year. Check it out here!

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“Linda left few dry eyes in the house. She inspired us to live life to the fullest, no matter what has happened.”

—Bob Miller, Board Member, Iowa Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association

At age twenty-nine, Linda Olson lost both her legs above the knee and her right arm in a train vs. car accident in Germany. “I didn’t marry your arms and your legs … if you can do it, I can do it,” was the first thing her husband, Dave Hodgens, said to her after the accident. In those first few days they chose to focus on what they could do, not what they couldn’t do. Linda and Dave proved that anything and everything is possible. “If you’re not getting the answer you want,” says Linda, “ask a different question. There is always a way.” 

Linda was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2015. Today she is committed to empowering Parkinson’s patients and families to live life as full as possible, in spite of their disabilities, and to get up, get out, and go. She offers resources, tips, and heartfelt motivation in her blog and talks and firmly believes that “If I can do it, You can do it.”

Video by Michael Wat and Bennett Leeds. © 1981 USC, School of Cinematography, All rights Reserved.

Linda is a proud supporter and former speaker for World Parkinson Coalition. Click on the image for more information about this great organization.