Publisher's Synopsis
Frank Abror takes readers along for a compelling and deeply personal journey; from an idealistic young man pursuing an education, to the day his hopes and dreams were turned upside down after a routine cataract surgery left him without the sight he depended on for his career.
Frank overcame trials that would have crippled the dreams of many, but only served as fuel for his determination and ambition. From the pivotal awarding of a scholarship that presented him with the opportunity to travel to the United States to further his education, but meant separation from his beloved family, to the tear-filled morning of October 18, 1996, when he was at last reunited with his wife and five children at JFK Airport. Reflecting on his accomplishments as a blind African man, he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the empowerment and the limitations of life altering disability, as well as insight into the dynamics of supporting a family of six while also maintaining a career as a rehabilitation teacher. Frank brings readers from his humble beginnings inside his childhood home in the village of Sokode Bagble, through time spent at the homes of close-knit family throughout Ghana, into his years pursuing education in the capital city of Accra. Follow along as scholarships pave the way for adventures across Europe, and eventually to the United States. He overcame a lifetime of adversity - struggling to earn enough to pay for his own schooling from a very young age, being blind-sided literally and figuratively by his loss of sight and subsequent change of careers at the age of thirty, homelessness during his years at the University of Kalamazoo MI, prejudice and racism at the work place - Frank overcame all this and more to make a place for his family in a new land, build a career for himself, put five out of his six children through college and ultimately leave a legacy of hard work, perseverance in the face of adversity, and educational excellence that will endure for generations to come. Flying With Broken Wings is extraordinarily intimate and introspective-the story of one man pursuing his dreams, undeterred by a tragic loss of sight. Frank is candid about the struggles of living in the United States as a blind, black immigrant, and of a father striving to ensure his children have greater opportunities than he was granted. He is frank about the responsibility that weighed down on him at home and abroad, and open about how living in the United States affected his wife and children. Despite struggling with self-doubt and disappointments he never wavered from his ultimate vision. This beautifully written autobiography captures Frank Abror's powerful conviction that through perseverance, dedication and hard work, success is always possible. Frank Abror was born, and spent his formative years in Ghana West Africa, before traveling to the United States to further his education, and ultimately raise his family. Frank retired back to Ghana in 2021, though many of his children still call the U.S. home. He received his bachelor's in education, followed by a master's degree in Blind Rehabilitation. In 2020 Frank was struck by a strong urge to encourage others through sharing his life's story and began writing his debut memoir. When he's not writing he can be found sleeping-in (making up for the years he woke up at 4am to catch the bus to work) or visiting family and friends in the small village of Sokode, his child-hood home, and current residence.
