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Profligate Truth: a memoir of deconstruction & creation
My story is not clean. It is not packaged in a neat little box, wrapped with the perfect bow. No, it is messy, it is uncomfortable, it is dark and horrifying. My truth is what my parents would call dissolute, made up, harmful, and vindictive. My truth has made older generations of evangelical Christians uncomfortable because of the reality I, and many others, lived in their churches. Churches where people like me were their fathers' property.
We’re the outcasts. We’re the prodigals who will never return. My truth is broken, yet whole. It is holy, and yet sinful. My truth is wild and free and beautiful and mine .
We’re the outcasts. We’re the prodigals who will never return. My truth is broken, yet whole. It is holy, and yet sinful. My truth is wild and free and beautiful and mine .
348 pages, Paperback
Published April 2, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 9, 2023
I think by now, most people know I no longer consider myself a Christian. I'm an agnostic atheist now, believing in the possibility of something but not really thinking humanity has ever figured it out. The process of leaving a faith I was so deeply entrenched in was LONG and painful and at times messed with my head so much I wondered if it was worth it. Having ready Profligate Truth, I know it was. Maeve's story, while much more painful than mine would ever be, affirmed so much of my own story, and reminded me that life is constantly a growth process. We are never complete.
I have to say that reading the first few chapters didn't make me think I was going to like the book. It felt more like a "...and then this happened," telling of a story that wasn't going to connect. As I made progress throughout however, I realized that the author was simply setting us up for the deep discussions to come. Trigger warnings ahead. There is talk about sexual, mental and emotional abuse. There are cult behaviors in the churches the family attended. The author leaves no stone unturned when telling a story that reveals just how cruel people who claim love as the most important thing when they believe their love has to be given a certain way.
What impressed me the most is how the author gives us a complete picture of their healing process. We are transported inside every therapy session. We are granted access into the deeply challenging discussions they have with their parents and with their husband. This is not a memoir where parts of a difficult life are shared. This is all of the author's experience laid out for us to see. Nothing remains hidden. The honesty is incredible and inspiring.
Overall, I would encourage everyone to read this book but I know a lot won't. They will give all of the excuses I have heard as to why the author (and myself) were probably never christians to begin with. That's a shame, because they will miss out on learning why so many of us are leaving the church never to return. They might also come to see that it's not an easy thing to do, but it does give us a lot more insight into who we are as individuals. Thank you Maeve Royer for your story and I wish you all the continued success in your journey.
I have to say that reading the first few chapters didn't make me think I was going to like the book. It felt more like a "...and then this happened," telling of a story that wasn't going to connect. As I made progress throughout however, I realized that the author was simply setting us up for the deep discussions to come. Trigger warnings ahead. There is talk about sexual, mental and emotional abuse. There are cult behaviors in the churches the family attended. The author leaves no stone unturned when telling a story that reveals just how cruel people who claim love as the most important thing when they believe their love has to be given a certain way.
What impressed me the most is how the author gives us a complete picture of their healing process. We are transported inside every therapy session. We are granted access into the deeply challenging discussions they have with their parents and with their husband. This is not a memoir where parts of a difficult life are shared. This is all of the author's experience laid out for us to see. Nothing remains hidden. The honesty is incredible and inspiring.
Overall, I would encourage everyone to read this book but I know a lot won't. They will give all of the excuses I have heard as to why the author (and myself) were probably never christians to begin with. That's a shame, because they will miss out on learning why so many of us are leaving the church never to return. They might also come to see that it's not an easy thing to do, but it does give us a lot more insight into who we are as individuals. Thank you Maeve Royer for your story and I wish you all the continued success in your journey.
April 18, 2023
This has got to be one of the best memoirs I've ever read. Even as someone who started their deconstruction process many years ago, this story opened my eyes to so many different aspects of the healing process I haven't seen before. It's always wonderful reading others' perspectives, but this one in particular was both educational and entertaining. Plenty of witty lines and narration to keep me interested. The narrator has such an amazing and specific voice, as well as a very distinct style. It felt like I grew up with them became friends with them along the way as I read the story of their life. It's just written so personally that you can really feel the emotions here and connect well with the author. This is such a great story for anyone trying to heal from trauma, and highly suggest giving it a read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews