• 5 Star Reads
  • Audiobooks
  • Books on Screen
  • Children’s Books
  • Christian
  • Fiction
  • Giveaways

5 Minutes For Books

  • Home
  • About
    • Who Are We? Reviewer Bios
    • 5 Star Reads
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
    • About Us
  • Join In
    • 5 Minutes for Books Bookclub
    • Children’s Classics
    • Kids’ Picks
    • What’s on Your Nightstand
  • Link To Us
  • Contact
    • Advertise

The World’s Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette’s, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family

August 3, 2013 by Elizabeth

5M4B disclosure

librarianJosh Hanagarne had a happy childhood, crammed with books and a world of imagination. That began to change at the age of 6, when he was a tree in a school Thanksgiving play, and discovered he couldn’t stop making popping noises with his mouth. He was officially diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome when he was in high school. By the time he was 20, he was 6’7″ tall, and while he was on a mission with the Mormon church, his symptoms became uncontrollable, where he was punching himself in the face and shouting at inopportune times. He was desperate to figure out a way to manage it, and doctors were basically little or no help.

The World’s Strongest Librarian is a memoir of Hanagarne’s life up till now, and it offers a fascinating glimpse into a life lived under the shadow of a mysterious syndrome, as well as his journey to find ways to manage the condition he dubs “Misty” short for “Miss T,” a parasite he’s in a relationship with. Hanagarne searches for ways to control his Tourette’s. He tries everything, from having his vocal cords paralyzed, to taking weird supplements, to various forms of medication. He has his best success with weight-lifting, but ultimately finds that even that has limits. Throughout it all, he finds great support from his family and later his wife, awesome people who love and accept him as he is, while he admits his struggles with his Mormon faith.

Hanagarne has a self-deprecating sense of humour, and an easy-to-read writing style that pulls the reader in to his struggles. Each chapter opens with stories of his life as a librarian at the Salt Lake City downtown library, and in some ways those were my favorite parts–amusing stories offering glimpses of the strange humans that populate public spaces.

The World’s Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette’s, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Familyoffers an intriguing glimpse into the world of Tourette’s, and readers will come away feeling compassion and admiration for those who struggle to control the uncontrollable impulses of it.

 

Filed Under: Elizabeth, Health, Memoir, Men's Interest

« The Stockholm Octavo #Giveaway
The Rathbones »

Comments

  1. riTa says

    August 3, 2013 at 3:49 pm

    Wow! Courage, strength.

  2. Melissa Mc says

    August 4, 2013 at 7:24 pm

    I liked this enough…I wish there had been MORE library stories…that is where he excelled.

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Welcome to 5 Minutes for Books. We are a team blog dedicated to sharing reviews and information about children's lit, fiction, memoir, and more. Read More…

Reviews

5 Minutes for Books

Jennifer Donovan
Managing Editor

MEET OUR TEAM



Connect With Us


Pinterest

Community

Cybils Logo Draft 3

Disclosure:

Find out about our relationships with publishers and affiliate networks in our full disclosure statement.

Recent Posts

  • Central Places
  • Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
  • The House of Eve
  • Bright and Deadly Things
  • Long Story Short

Categories

Privacy Policy    |     Disclosure Policy
Terms & Conditions
© 5 Minutes for Mom

Let’s Socialize

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Pinterest is Our FAVORITE!

Find and Follow Us at
pinterest.com/5min4books

Copyright © 2023 · Tasteful theme by Restored 316