Took a Bow by Elise Siregar Chen is an outstanding story of overcoming challenges and the discovery of passion for a hobby. Having pneumonia, seasonal allergies, and severe asthma, the main character has trouble finding a sport that would not cause further damage to her body. She’d seem to have tried every sport possible: tennis, basketball, soccer, but none of which suited her. She felt like an outcast for not being able to do what other kids her age can as well as having restrictions on the activities she could participate in. However, this changed when she visited her cousins in Hong Kong and discovered the art of archery. She found that though her arm was trembling after pulling on the string of the long-bow, she did not have trouble breathing! Practicing every month with her coach, she mastered the techniques related to newfound hobby and was able to hit the bullseye many times during training sessions. These techniques followed her to the classroom as they helped her relax and focus on the task at hand.

     I absolutely loved reading this short story as I was able to relate to it. Finding a hobby was challenging for me because there weren’t many activities that suited my tastes. I wanted something that I would be able to spend a lot of time practicing without getting tired of doing the same things over and over again. I wanted to feel the exhilarating feeling of freedom as I play the sport. That’s when I started to play volleyball and since I started playing three years ago, I have never stopped playing. A particular quote that stood out to me was “Comforting, because they were like me - drawn to this magical sport; they were people like me, who loved order and calm.” This quote presented me with the views of the character on the sport she showed interest in. She felt as if she fit in with the people that did archery instead of being an outcast. The development of the characters personality and the change in the way she views life shows made my heart melt as I discovered the challenges of a person who does not have the same capabilities as others. This sympathetic story engaged the reader in her descriptive narrative and gave heart to a new light on people with disabilities.