Everyone has a story to tell, but when it comes to publishing, memoirs can often be lumped into one of two categories: the salacious ‘tell-all’ or the ‘rags to riches’ tale of transformation. And while there’s certainly nothing wrong with the entertaining angle of the former, there are few things more potent than a first-hand account of survival in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds—case in point being Jamison Hill’s WHEN FORCE MEETS FATE: A Mission to Solve an Invisible Illness. It’s difficult to imagine longer odds than those faced by Hill. In the wake of a tragic car accident at the age of twenty-one, Hill was stricken with a debilitating illness that much of the medical establishment is still struggling to understand. Nearly a decade in the making, WHEN FORCE MEETS FATE recounts the events surrounding Hill’s initial diagnosis and the incredibly frustrating journey that followed.

Hill begins his story with the statement, “I loved my life.” A twenty-one-year-old college student with two jobs and a passion for bodybuilding, the first significant challenge in Hill’s life came by way of a tragic car crash that left another person dead. While ultimately deemed an accident, the event marked a turning point for Hill. A year later, after pouring himself into yet another sweat-inducing workout, Hill suffered a sudden onset of fatigue and flu-like symptoms that would remain with him for months—and ultimately years. From there, Hill delivers one jaw-dropping anecdote after another, exposing the many limitations of the American Healthcare System. As Hill points out, modern medicine excels at healing broken bones and matching prescriptions with symptoms, but what happens when there isn’t a test for what ails you?

Initially dismissed by doctors as depression related to the car accident, Hill spent the better part of six years in a steady decline, eventually becoming bedridden, unable to eat or speak. Finally, in 2016, Hill met Dr. David Kaufman and learned that he was suffering from ME/CFS (Myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome). With a diagnosis in hand, Hill began a treatment regimen that eventually restored his ability to talk, eat, and, most importantly, write—something that Hill fully embraced.

An engaging story told with a distinct, raw voice, WHEN FORCE MEETS FATE is far from a ‘light’ read. The details of his journey are easily worth the price of admission, but it’s the unflinching accounts of Hill’s heartbreaking setbacks told through a confessional, journal-esque prose that set this story apart. Be it his frustrating experiences with dismissive doctors or his critical assessment of himself, Hill pulls no punches. While the bleakness permeating much of this book may provide a challenge for some readers, patience is rewarded as WHEN FORCE MEETS FATE ends on an emotional high, with Hill’s recovery ultimately taking on an upward trajectory.

A sobering account of one man’s decade-long struggle with a mysterious, debilitating illness, Jamison Hill’s WHEN FORCE MEETS FATE: A Mission to Solve an Invisible Illness is a story of perseverance—one that is likely to remain with readers long after the final page.

~James Weiskittel for IndieReader