The Second Bounce: A Middle-Aged Trapeze Artist’s Journey through Life’s Unexpected Landings

By Sheri M. Baxter

The Second Bounce isn't about the fall. And it's not about bouncing back.
In flying trapeze, the second bounce is the moment after the net absorbs the impact, launching the performer back into the air before a second and final landing. It is a moment that rewards awareness, adaptability, and resilience--not because something went wrong, but because even a perfect performance can produce an unexpected response.
Through that metaphor, this memoir chronicles a life filled with disruption, reinvention, and unexpected detours. From being abandoned as a young adult just as she was preparing for college, to navigating the challenges of military service, aviation, public service, and a life across continents, she repeatedly finds herself confronting circumstances she never anticipated and cannot fully control.
Years later, after building a life around physical performance, fitness, and movement--including more than a decade coaching flying trapeze and eventually performing as a professional trapeze artist--an unexpected medical condition takes away the strength and physical identity she had relied upon for decades. Forced to rebuild once again, she discovers that resilience is not about toughness, determination, or simply getting back up after a fall. It is about learning to adapt when the rules change entirely.
Blending humor, self-reflection, and hard-earned perspective, The Second Bounce offers a fresh look at resilience, identity, and the moments that define us long after the crisis itself has passed. This is not a story about overcoming obstacles. It is a story about learning how to live when life refuses to follow the script.
Perfect for fans of:
-Inspiring female memoirs celebrating resilience and reinvention.
-Unconventional life paths spanning military service, high-flying corporate aviation, and the circus arts.
-Stories of medical resilience and navigating sudden, life-altering identity shifts.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0HGKWQMHM
• ISBN13: 9798317845926
• Release Date: October 2026
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Length: 296 Pages