As a writer, I am a reader. I read an array of genres, fiction and nonfiction, and also a variety of writers. Almost everything I read becomes a tutorial – clever ideas, an interesting turn of phrase, clearer ways of communicating, and even some examples that I’d prefer avoiding. All that to say – I read with a red pen in my mind’s hand. But once in a while, I read a novel that so captures me with the depth and color of the story or a work of nonfiction that is so refreshing that the red pen is forgotten. That is how I know a piece of writing is really, really good. Such is a book I just finished. I had opportunity to read and review the book before its release on May 3. Mary E. DeMuth is a Truth-telling story-teller, and her coming release, WORTH LIVING, is one of her finest.
WORTH LIVING is a careful weaving of the story, Mary’s and others’, with biblical principles that remind us of where we get our sense of worth. In laying bare her soul’s story, she resonates with us all. From the recounting of the miseries of her childhood to the creative retelling of the story of the prodigal “daughter,” Mary holds up a mirror to our own souls and to our own shortcomings – not the shortcomings you would imagine. Not smart enough? Not pretty enough? Not wealthy enough? Not productive enough? Oh, no. The tragic shortcoming is not accepting God’s unfathomable love because we do not feel worthy.
With the competence of a medical diagnostician, Mary asks the questions that reveal the symptoms and causes of our misery and feelings of unworthiness. Then, using words the way a skillful surgeon uses a scalpel to excise damaged and diseased tissue, Mary slices away at the misery-causing lies that rob us of wholeness and joy, replacing them with truth.
Even though Mary’s beautiful prose pulsates like poetry at times, her writing is so conversational that it’s like sitting across the table from a friend, sharing life’s questions, mysteries, and foibles over a cup of tea. But this old and trusted friend has known me since my story began, and she isn’t afraid of asking the hard questions and telling me what’s true and lasting.
I’ll buy several copies of WORTH LIVING because it is the kind of book that bears reading more than once and one that I can hand to a friend because of its integrity, its helpfulness and its hopefulness. Jesus is deeply entwined with Mary’s story, and she tells that story honestly and with deep conviction. Mary tells the truth because she knows the Truth.
WORTH LIVING is a careful weaving of the story, Mary’s and others’, with biblical principles that remind us of where we get our sense of worth. In laying bare her soul’s story, she resonates with us all. From the recounting of the miseries of her childhood to the creative retelling of the story of the prodigal “daughter,” Mary holds up a mirror to our own souls and to our own shortcomings – not the shortcomings you would imagine. Not smart enough? Not pretty enough? Not wealthy enough? Not productive enough? Oh, no. The tragic shortcoming is not accepting God’s unfathomable love because we do not feel worthy.
With the competence of a medical diagnostician, Mary asks the questions that reveal the symptoms and causes of our misery and feelings of unworthiness. Then, using words the way a skillful surgeon uses a scalpel to excise damaged and diseased tissue, Mary slices away at the misery-causing lies that rob us of wholeness and joy, replacing them with truth.
Even though Mary’s beautiful prose pulsates like poetry at times, her writing is so conversational that it’s like sitting across the table from a friend, sharing life’s questions, mysteries, and foibles over a cup of tea. But this old and trusted friend has known me since my story began, and she isn’t afraid of asking the hard questions and telling me what’s true and lasting.
I’ll buy several copies of WORTH LIVING because it is the kind of book that bears reading more than once and one that I can hand to a friend because of its integrity, its helpfulness and its hopefulness. Jesus is deeply entwined with Mary’s story, and she tells that story honestly and with deep conviction. Mary tells the truth because she knows the Truth. Do yourself a favor, and read this book!
