"A Woman of Vision demonstrates that perfect vision is not just of the eyes. Thank you Betty and Joanna for bringing us into the light in such a beautiful way."
Anna "Patty Duke" Pearce, Academy Award and
Emmy winning actress, author and singer
"The Miracle Worker"
“Captivating! I became familiar with Betty Clark Mong years ago when her story was selected for inclusion in a book I co-authored called Masters of Success—I was fascinated by Joanna Stark’s inspirational story about Betty then and A Woman of Vision has enthralled me now. This is a truly compelling book about an extraordinary woman who epitomized courage, determination, and hope and whose story will forever change the way you view the world.”
Ivan Misner, Ph.D., NY Times Bestselling Author
and Founder of BNI®
"Anyone who has ever had a moment of self-doubt or faced seemingly insurmountable odds will find inspirational comfort from A Woman of Vision and Betty's incredible life story. Her contributions to the film industry were invaluable and her grace, grit and humor make her a true American treasure."
Denise DuBarry-Hay, Actress, Entrepreneur and
Founder andPast President of
Palm Springs Women in Film and Television
Testimonials and Reviews for A Woman of Vision
“A Woman of Vision is a wonderful tribute to the transformational power of courage, perseverance, and compassion. Betty has inspired me personally to become a better physician for my patients, a better leader and teacher for my students, a better husband and parent, and a better person. You, as a reader of this book, will also be touched and inspired and you will also be a better person."
Ronald E. Smith, M.D.
Professor and Chairman
Doheny Eye Institute
Keck School of Medicine of the
University of Southern California
Department of Ophthalmology
"I usually avoid books about blindness because the authors either make us out to be poor, little helpless people or to be superheroes. I end up picking apart those books paragraph by paragraph. You did not put Betty in either category. Betty was Betty,--a fun-loving, popular person with great qualities and flaws, like everyone else. Someone who had a very interesting life. I can't pick apart "A Woman of Vision" because it was great from start to finish. It's a splendid book"
Jennifer Chambers
Betty's longtime friend,
colleague and confidant
Jennifer transcribed
A Woman of Vision into braille.
Book Review
Reviewed by Ankita Shukla for Readers' Favorite Barnes and Noble
To say that A Woman Of Vision: A True Story of Courage, Determination, and Vivid Blindness by Joanna Rivera Stark is anything less than an experience worth treasuring would be the understatement of the century. Having lived a life of over ninety years, Betty knew that she wanted to share her story with a wide audience, and that is when she contacted her friend, Joanna. During her last days, Betty and Joanna flipped the pages of her journey to show the world that no hardship has the power to hold one down. Having been diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at the age of only eighteen months, Betty began gradually losing her vision. Even with her impaired vision, her life never lacked color.
She was born in poverty, but she did not let her financial or medical condition define her. She had an inner urge to be accepted like everybody else. Instead of wallowing in pity, she relied on her excellent musical talents and communication skills to reach a stable position. From the age of three, she began singing at various events to help her parents get on their feet. When her father started a fruitcake business, she became his helping hand. Throughout her life, she believed in moving forward. Life threw hurdles her way, but she brushed those off through her love for making a difference in the world. Not only did she keep herself upbeat most of the time, she invested her energy in motivating others to do the same.
Reading the synopsis of A Woman Of Vision: A
True Story of Courage, Determination, and Vivid Blindness, one might be compelled to anticipate this
as a slow read. I, as a reader, had expected that the pages of this book would be filled with grief and the hardships that Betty went through due to her medical condition. However, right from the first chapter the author proved me absolutely wrong. When destiny denied Betty the ability to see colors, she filled her life with bright shades of travel, relationships, humor, and love. Joanna has done a fascinating job of capturing the essence of Betty's life in words. She went out of her way and added many pictures from Betty's life. These pictures made an instant connection with me, and I felt that I had known Betty forever. Betty never hid behind her medical condition and wished to be just like everybody else. Reading about her life, one dare not define her by her disease. To me, Betty Clark
Mong was larger than life. I not only applaud the author for writing an outstanding memoir, but I envy her for knowing this astonishing lady.
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