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Kick-Ass Kinda Girl: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Caregiving

New Release Spotlight

Kick-Ass Kinda Girl: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Caregiving

When her husband, Don, called on his way to the hospital, Kathi Koll had no idea how dramatically their lives would change --- or how her loving heart and indomitable spirit would fight it.

From childhood, Kathi's life might have seemed idyllic: play dates with Lucie Arnaz, real dates with a future TV idol, and a big brother engaged to film star Dolores Hart. But behind the scenes, her role as a caregiver began early with a mother dying of cancer, a father battling alcoholism, and both of her older brothers fighting debilitating diseases.

But then Kathi found Don Koll --- her "knight." Like living a movie script, together Don and Kathi built a life of adventure traveling to far off lands at the behest of royalty, surviving a carjacking, and cracking jokes with the president. Their joie de vivre made everything feel possible until Don woke up "locked in" after his catastrophic stroke.

With unflinching honesty and humor, Kathi shares the realities of a life in uncharted territory as a full-time caregiver, from the challenges of turning her home into a mobile hospital to the complications of intimacy. Her ability to share sorrows while laughing at herself helped her find a "New Normal" where she and Don could live each day to its fullest.

This is a powerfully moving look at what it takes to carry oneself through the worst of circumstances and an uplifting tale of resilience that will help others facing the challenges of caring for their loved ones to never lose hope for tomorrow.

Kick-Ass Kinda Girl: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Caregiving
by Kathi Koll