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Sheryl Berk

American
Sheryl Berk is an American writer. She is the co-author of the New York Times Bestseller Soul Surfer as well as other celebrity biographies. She is the author of the children's book series Dance Divas. She also co-authored three children's and young adult novel series: The Cupcake Club, Fashion Academy, and Ask Emma, along with her daughter Carrie Berk.
On LuvemBooks, we've reviewed Soul Surfer.
1
Books Reviewed
Cover of Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board by Bethany Hamilton, Sheryl Berk, and Rick Bundschuh
Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board by Bethany Hamilton, Sheryl Berk, and Rick Bundschuh

4.7/5

reader rating · 1,971 ratings

Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board is Bethany Hamilton's memoir of losing her arm to a shark at 13 and returning to competitive surfing. One blogger rated it four stars, and the publisher calls it a #1 New York Times bestseller.

Reviewed Nov 3, 2026

Ask LuvemBooks about Sheryl Berk

Sheryl Berk is an American writer who specializes in co-authoring true-life stories, including celebrity biographies and the New York Times bestseller Soul Surfer. On LuvemBooks we've reviewed 1 of their books: Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board, Bethany Hamilton's memoir of losing her arm to a shark at 13 and returning to competitive surfing, which holds a 4.7/5 reader rating from 1971 Amazon ratings.
Where should I start?
Start with Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board — it's the only Sheryl Berk book we've reviewed, and it's their best-known work. The memoir of Bethany Hamilton's shark attack and return to surfing carries a 4.7/5 reader rating from 1971 Amazon ratings.
What's their writing style?
Based on Soul Surfer, Berk works as a collaborative memoirist, shaping a real person's firsthand experience into a readable narrative. The book is a true story told through its subject's life — Hamilton's attack, recovery, and return to the board — rather than an invented plot, so the voice serves the subject's own account of faith and family.
Books we've reviewed
We've reviewed 1 book co-authored by Sheryl Berk. Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board is Bethany Hamilton's memoir of surviving a shark attack at 13 and returning to competitive surfing — readers on Amazon rate it 4.7/5 across 1971 ratings.
What genre do they write?
Sheryl Berk writes nonfiction, specifically memoir and biography. Their best-known book, Soul Surfer, is a memoir co-written with Bethany Hamilton, and their broader body of work consists of celebrity biographies.
Is Soul Surfer a true story?
Yes — the full title is Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board. It recounts Bethany Hamilton losing her arm to a shark at age 13 and her fight to return to competitive surfing, co-written with Sheryl Berk and Rick Bundschuh.
Who is Sheryl Berk?

Who is Sheryl Berk?

Sheryl Berk is an American writer best known as the co-author of the New York Times bestseller Soul Surfer. They have also co-written other celebrity biographies, building a career around helping public figures tell their life stories.

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Authors Like Sheryl Berk
Bethany Hamilton

Bethany Hamilton

Memoir

Bethany Meilani Hamilton is an American professional surfer and writer. On October 31, 2003, she survived a shark attack in which her left arm was bitten off; ultimately, she returned to professional surfing and wrote about her experiences in the 2004 autobiography, Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board.

1 book reviewed
Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board by Bethany Hamilton, Sheryl Berk, and Rick Bundschuh
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Tara Westover is an American memoirist, essayist and historian.

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Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing