The collapse
The aftermath of a sudden medical crisis, and the way one emergency sets off a chain of others.
A Memoir of Breath, Bone, and Heart. A true story of illness, amputation and the end of a marriage, told from inside it.
About the book
When life collapsed without warning, Scotty Roberts found himself fighting for every breath. A long illness ended in the amputation of his leg. His mobility went with it, his marriage began to slip away, and he woke up in a body and a world he barely recognized.
These are the first twelve days of that journey. Twelve days that changed his life for good. Twelve days that forced him to face who he was, who he had been, and who he would become.
Told with raw honesty, poetic grit and a voice shaped by decades of storytelling, The First Twelve Days is about losing almost everything and still choosing to rise.
For anyone walking through heartbreak, illness, reinvention, recovery, or the quiet wilderness of starting over.
What you will find inside
The leg
The physical and emotional reality of losing a limb, written from inside the hospital bed.
The marriage
A long marriage coming apart, and the love that is still there when it does.
The time-prompts
Mystical time-prompts, inner reckonings and the small moments of grace that arrive uninvited.
The fight
A man fighting for more than survival. He is fighting for meaning.
Book details
TitleThe First Twelve Days: A Memoir of Breath, Bone, and Heart
Length138pages
PublishedDecember 1, 2025Independently published
Paperback9798276923369ISBN-13, $17.99
Hardcover9798276949062ISBN-13, $28.99
Ebook and audioNot yet available
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Readers on Amazon
4.810 ratings
I was blown away by Scotty's story, riding out its perfect storm in one sitting, and struggling to believe what I was hearing.
It was so inspirational that I finished it in one day.
Ultimately Roberts' struggle is uplifting... not just survive but thrive. Recommended reading.
This book should be in every surgeon's waiting room.
The ultimate battle from serious health issues to a Phoenix rising from the ashes... Truly inspirational!
One of the most honest, gut-wrenching, and ultimately uplifting memoirs I've ever read.
Quick answers
- What is The First Twelve Days about?
- The First Twelve Days is a memoir by Scotty Roberts about the first twelve days after a long illness ended in the amputation of his leg, at the same moment his marriage began to come apart. It follows him through the hospital, the loss and the first decisions about who he would be next.
- Is The First Twelve Days a true story?
- Yes. It is nonfiction, a memoir written by Scotty Roberts about his own medical crisis, amputation and divorce.
- Who wrote The First Twelve Days?
- Scotty Roberts (Scott Alan Roberts), an author, illustrator and creative director from the Minneapolis and Saint Paul area of Minnesota.
- When was The First Twelve Days published?
- It was published independently on December 1, 2025.
- How long is the book?
- Both the paperback and the hardcover are 138 pages. Some readers say they finished it in one sitting.
Books like The First Twelve Days
If one of these stayed with you, this one will too.
-
When Breath Becomes Air
A life rearranged by illness, told by someone who still had things to say.
-
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
A body that stops cooperating, and a mind that refuses to go quiet.
-
Between Two Kingdoms
What comes after survival, when you have to learn how to live again.
-
Man's Search for Meaning
The old question underneath all of it: what do you do with suffering?
Choose your copy
138 pages. Short enough to read in a sitting, honest enough to stay with you.
