"I will get stronger. I will return," Rep. Gabrielle Giffords writes in her and her husband Mark Kelly's forthcoming memoir, the Associated Press reported after they got hold of a copy. That affirmation, which the AP describes as a vow to return to Congress, comes in the last chapter of the book, Gabby, which was primarily written by Kelly. The last chapter, the AP says, is a "single page of short sentences and phrases entitled 'Gabby's Voice.'" Earlier in the book, there is a passage in which Kelly recalls a moment she remembered she had been shot on January 8. It came on March 12, over two months later. And the AP describes the book's scene:

Kelly asked Giffords if she remembered being shot, and she replied that she did. When he asked what she remembered about it, she said three words: "Shot. Shocked. Scary."

Later that same day, Kelly was reading to her from a New York Times article about her recovery and skipped over a paragraph that said six others were killed. Giffords, following along, knew he left something out and pushed him to tell her what it was.

The book, notes the AP, also describes the extent of her injuries: "because of her injuries, Giffords has lost 50 percent of her vision in both eyes." The congresswoman has previously made an appearance on the House of Representatives floor this summer during the debt deal vote, when she was greeted to a standing ovation and cast her vote.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at ehayden at nationaljournal dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
Erik Hayden