Kim Carpenter

Krickitt Carpenter

Dana Wilkerson

Life as Kim and Krickitt Carpenter knew it was shattered beyond recognition on November 24, 1993. Two months after their marriage, a devastating car wreck left Krickitt with a massive head injury and in a coma for weeks. When she finally awoke, she had no idea who Kim was. With no recollection of their relationship and while Krickitt experienced personality changes common to those who suffer head injuries, Kim realized the woman he had married essentially died in the accident. And yet, against all odds, but through the common faith in Christ that sustained them, Kim and Krickitt fell in love all over again. Even though Kim stood by Krickitt through the darkest times a husband can ever imagine, he insists, “I’m no hero. I made a vow.” Now available in trade paper with a new chapter and photo insert, The Vow is the true story that inspired the major motion picture of the same name starring Rachel McAdams (The Notebook), Channing Tatum (Dear John), Sam Neill (Jurassic Park), and Academy Award winner Jessica Lange.

The True Events that Inspired the Movie

The Vow

John Perry

The Kim and Krickitt Carpenter Story

Lauren Grey

This book was not a surprise to me. I saw the movie first, a few years ago when it came out in theaters. I remember thinking that it was a great story, but being a naive teenager, I didn’t understand where the main female lead was coming from. After reading the book about the real events, it all makes a lot more sense.

First, this book is nothing like the movie. They basically took the bare threads of this story and mushed it and mashed it until something almost completely Hollywood, BUT that doesn’t make it any less of an incredible story. I feel like the beauty of this story was that it was so pure and real. These were just two everyday people who endured a great tragedy and were able to overcome it. It would have been perfect with all of the Hollywood changes.

When I originally watched the movie, I couldn’t understand why this lady was making such a big deal about the situation. She’s in the hospital, obviously something went wrong, and all of these people are telling you that you have a husband. Deal with it. Honestly, if I was to wake up in the hospital and Channing Tatum was standing there claiming to be my husband, I wouldn’t complain. But there was so much more than that. In the book, it says that she didn’t realize she had brain damage. That she had reverted so far back and acted like a teenager. She couldn’t grasp the idea of being married, because she wasn’t there yet.

I feel like the movie downplayed the situation as well. As they tried to make it all dramatic, they lost some of the seriousness of what happened to Krickitt and what the couple went through. It is an amazing story that gives you chills! She overcame so much that the movie doesn’t even mention.

The book is also focused on their faith. They say over and over again that they wouldn’t have made it if it hadn’t been for their unwavering love and belief in God. One thing Krickitt remembered was that she loved and trusted God and that she was in this position for a reason. They constantly looked to God for reassurance and a path to follow. Their faith is incredible; one that sparks the need to do better in your own life. I thought it was a bit sad that Hollywood felt the need to take their faith out of the equation for the movie when it was such a big part of their story.

Overall, this book doesn’t wow you with the way it is written, but it will with its story alone. It is eye-opening and just listening to the way Kim, the husband, talks about his wife will have you swooning. If you have only seen the movie, I was suggest giving the book a try… I felt that it explained and put the events into more of a perspective.

Jeni Enjaian

The first time I heard about this book was in anticipation of the movie. Thus, I did not realize that this was a memoir (not a fictionalization) or that the "characters" were Christian. If I had known, I likely would not have bothered with the book. As a Christian myself, I hate that I have such a cynical view of Christian literature. This book is the prime example of the reason for my view. First, it took me 20 minutes to read the book. It has absolutely no depth in content or structure. Second, the composition is rather simple. Third, like much of "Christianity" it avoids any exploration of the magnificent depth of the struggle that must have been present. 

I do not recommend this book at all.

The Vow The True Events that Inspired the Movie

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