When she suffered a massive stroke and entered rehab after a long hospital stay, Jan Douglas found herself in the fascinating position of beginning therapy as a trained occupational therapist, though her memories of her work were grainy at best.

Her experiences of recovery and the blossoming of a new life are the subject of an award-winning book she penned titled “A Wonderful Stroke of Luck: From Occupational Therapist to Patient and Beyond.” Her wok was recognized in 2019 with a gold award from the Non-Fiction Writers Association and was a finalist for the Book of the Year named by the Chicago Writers Association.