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Thin Places: A Memoir
In her moving spiritual memoir, Mary DeMuth reflects on the “thin places” of her life—places where she was acutely aware of God’s presence. Through her own story, DeMuth invites you to discover new ways to experience a God who is ready to break through any ordinary day or extraordinary pain and offer you a glimpse of eternity.
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First published January 19, 2010
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About the author
Mary E. DeMuth
73 books418 followersMary DeMuth is literary agent, international speaker, podcaster, and she’s the novelist and nonfiction author of over forty books, including Love, Pray, Listen: Parenting Your Wayward Adult Kids with Joy (Bethany 2022). She loves to help people re-story their lives. She lives in Texas with her husband of 31 years and is the mom to three adult children. Find out more at marydemuth.com. Be prayed for on her daily prayer podcast with 4 million downloads: prayeveryday.show. For sexual abuse resources, visit wetoo.org. For cards, prints, and artsy fun go to marydemuth.com/art. Find out what she’s looking for as a literary agent at marydemuthliterary.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
October 28, 2010
Some people are of the opinion that we are all wounded on one level or another. What makes the difference between us, I suppose, is how much healing has taken place and the circumstances that cause those wounds to reopen. I know this all too well in my life, and I’ve found a kindred spirit in Mary DeMuth. A fellow author, she has turned her sorrows into support; she reaches out not only to those who have survived similar experiences to hers, but, through her wounds, she reaches out to those who may be otherwise wounded.
Her memoir Thin Places exemplifies this well. Oxymoron though it may be to say, her story reads as a hopeful tragedy. One can come to understand how bad things happen to good people to make them stronger. Mary taps her memories with a raw, gritty pen. Yet she deftly strikes a balance between pain and promise, hurt and hope. The reader soon discovers the tragic childhood encounters that have, perhaps, left the deepest scars. Mary’s novels maintain a preoccupation with how children are shaken out of innocence and get dragged or set adrift into an adulthood for which they’re not ready. Thin Places gives the background reality to her fictional stories.
The phrase thin place is translated from the Celtic term caol áit (pronounced ‘kweel atch’), which describes a place where heaven and earth kiss, where the veil is removed or stretched so thin that you see, touch, know God. This could be a physical place, a situation or experience, or just a moment in time. Each vignette-like chapter of Thin Places reveals the truth of a caol áit. Just as Jacob went through a thin place at Jabbok, wrestling and in pain, each thin place in our lives comes with its struggle and hurt. But don’t forget that, though Jacob left that brook with a limp, he also left with a great blessing and a new name; so, he “called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved” (Genesis 32:30). Our anguish accomplishes something greater.
Reading this memoir can be bit of a thin place experience, as you find yourself slowing down to reflect on your own life and do some healing through Mary’s pain. You come to understand yourself and God a little better—a worthy journey. And you realize that even when we mourn our losses and suffer our hurts, we have hope that we will move beyond the agony to a place of acceptance, to a place of appreciation, of freedom.
N.B. Mary’s publisher, Zondervan, sent me a review copy of this book before its February launch.
Her memoir Thin Places exemplifies this well. Oxymoron though it may be to say, her story reads as a hopeful tragedy. One can come to understand how bad things happen to good people to make them stronger. Mary taps her memories with a raw, gritty pen. Yet she deftly strikes a balance between pain and promise, hurt and hope. The reader soon discovers the tragic childhood encounters that have, perhaps, left the deepest scars. Mary’s novels maintain a preoccupation with how children are shaken out of innocence and get dragged or set adrift into an adulthood for which they’re not ready. Thin Places gives the background reality to her fictional stories.
The phrase thin place is translated from the Celtic term caol áit (pronounced ‘kweel atch’), which describes a place where heaven and earth kiss, where the veil is removed or stretched so thin that you see, touch, know God. This could be a physical place, a situation or experience, or just a moment in time. Each vignette-like chapter of Thin Places reveals the truth of a caol áit. Just as Jacob went through a thin place at Jabbok, wrestling and in pain, each thin place in our lives comes with its struggle and hurt. But don’t forget that, though Jacob left that brook with a limp, he also left with a great blessing and a new name; so, he “called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved” (Genesis 32:30). Our anguish accomplishes something greater.
Reading this memoir can be bit of a thin place experience, as you find yourself slowing down to reflect on your own life and do some healing through Mary’s pain. You come to understand yourself and God a little better—a worthy journey. And you realize that even when we mourn our losses and suffer our hurts, we have hope that we will move beyond the agony to a place of acceptance, to a place of appreciation, of freedom.
N.B. Mary’s publisher, Zondervan, sent me a review copy of this book before its February launch.
December 11, 2020
What is a thin place? "The Celts define a thin place as a place where heaven and the physical world collide, one of those serendipitous territories where eternity and the mundane meet," author Mary E. DeMuth explains. "Thin places are snatches of time, moments really, when we sense God intersecting our world in tangible, unmistakeable ways....He has come near to my life. I will tell you how."
And DeMuth does. She shares with her readers the times in her past when she came very close to God. Often the moments were preceded by difficult events, terrible events, horrifying events. DeMuth is able to find the redemption in the terrible, and that is one of her gifts as a storyteller.
And DeMuth does. She shares with her readers the times in her past when she came very close to God. Often the moments were preceded by difficult events, terrible events, horrifying events. DeMuth is able to find the redemption in the terrible, and that is one of her gifts as a storyteller.
May 5, 2010
I love Mary's writing and really looked forward to reading this book to get a glimpse into the woman who writes such fantastic Christian Fiction.
That is one of the opening paragraphs in the introduction and it sums up the whole of the book. It is also one of the most beautiful couple of sentences I have ever read.
Such a fantastic work for healing AND for people who struggle with the "not good enough's", perfectionism, guilt and shame. (and not necessarily as a result of sex abuse) Several stories that could have had the foot note "me too!"
"The Celts define a thin place as a place where heaven and the physical world collide, one of those serendipitous territories where eternity and the mundane meet. Thin describes the membrane between the two worlds, like a piece of vellum, where we see a hold glimpse of the eternal-not in digital clarity, but clear enough to discern what lies beyond.
Thin places are snatches of holy ground, tucked into the corners of our world, where, if we pay very close attention, we might just catch a glimpse of eternity."
That is one of the opening paragraphs in the introduction and it sums up the whole of the book. It is also one of the most beautiful couple of sentences I have ever read.
Such a fantastic work for healing AND for people who struggle with the "not good enough's", perfectionism, guilt and shame. (and not necessarily as a result of sex abuse) Several stories that could have had the foot note "me too!"
September 23, 2021
I’ve heard it said that you can argue with theology, but you can’t argue with experience, and Mary’s story of healing from a horrific childhood of sexual abuse and her interpretation of it were both heart wrenching and touching.
Like some reviews have noted, the book felt disjointed at times, but it seemed like it was because the chapters were organized around subject matter rather than a strict chronology of events.
My theology differs from Mary’s, but I marvel at her ability to continue to trust in a good God, engage in a personal experience of Jesus, and experience even the worst of places and times as “thin.”
Like some reviews have noted, the book felt disjointed at times, but it seemed like it was because the chapters were organized around subject matter rather than a strict chronology of events.
My theology differs from Mary’s, but I marvel at her ability to continue to trust in a good God, engage in a personal experience of Jesus, and experience even the worst of places and times as “thin.”
February 8, 2010
When I asked to review the book, Thin Places, I did so because I knew in some way it would help me understand my own struggles. Thin Places is a courageous personal memoir by author, Mary De Muth, who wrote Watching The Tree Limbs and Wishing on Dandelions.
“I picture Him (God) watching from heaven as I press my eye socket to the floor of Jim's Studebaker, watching God's chaotic world spin beneath me. “That one,” He shouts to the heavenlies. “That raggedy one. I choose her because she knows her lack, because she knows her insatiable need for a father. Someday she'll cling to me.” As I trace my fifth-grade hand over the brick wall leading to the office, He knows I am about to embark on a journey of fatherlessness, enduring the gaping hole that comes from a longing unfulfilled,” writes Mary in the first chapter. Mary writes some stirringly graphic and tough chapters on sexual abuse, abandonment, grief, and the often lacking relationship between her and her mother. She writes about her own struggles as a wife and parent.
The Celtics define a Thin Place, “as a place where heaven and the physical world collide, one of those serendipitous territories where eternity and the mundane meet. Thin describes the membrane between the two worlds, like a piece of vellum, where we see a holy glimpse of the eternal—not in digital clarity, but clear enough to discern what lies beyond. Thin Places are snatches of holy ground, tucked into the corners of our world, where, if we pay close attention, we might just catch a glimpse of eternity.” Her book is a collection of the Thin Places in her life; places of tragedy, hurt, betrayal, and fear, but what people meant for evil God used for good.
Her words eerily echo my own daily struggles and thoughts. I was struck by what she wrote in regards to her relationship to her mother during her later years as a college student, “Ours is a relationship of undulation. Pain, forgiveness, misunderstanding—all flow together to create a complicated fountain. I spring from her. She springs from me. And sometimes the water runs dry. And so often I'm thirsty.” Her sexual abuse makes me weep because she did not get any help and had nowhere to turn. The abuse affected her marriage. Having never known a friend who was sexually abused, nor thankfully, never had that experience, I can only imagine the lifelong pain Mary writes in her memoirs.
Mary writes about her struggles with gaining others approval. I can understand having tried to get approval all of my life. It's a bucket with a hole in the bottom in which you futily try to fill with your hopes, dreams and love, but when you pick it up, it all drains out of the bottom. “Isn't it ironic that I have the deepest fellowship with Jesus when I give up my need to control the relationships in my life? My relationship with Him grows rich when I place my reputation in the hands that are scarred by the hatred of others,” says Mary in the chapter titled, Like Me. I struggle with this every day. It is natural to want people to like you. It makes you feel good when you gain the respect of those around you. It is a well which promises to run dry. Only clinging to the Living Water of Jesus will you find sustenance, not in the opinions of other less than perfect human-beings.
The copy of Thin Places is on my desk. I am going to spend some time in prayer. I want someone who is suffering, who has suffered, and who still struggles, to read this book. A fatherless or motherless person who has felt that void for years; an abused person who cannot see the light in her dark life; a person who needs to drink up Jesus' love for them. I will give this away to that person. If you are that person, write me a letter why. If you know that person, write me a letter. Pay it forward. If you have grown up without a mother or father and believe you are not loved, think again; Jesus made you. You are a precious creation having been born in a fallen world. Find your Thin Place; embrace your past; forgive your past; and in the midst of the darkness, find the light. He's waiting for you to come Home.
Nikole Hahn
www.thehahnhuntinglodge.com
Zondervan requested my review.
“I picture Him (God) watching from heaven as I press my eye socket to the floor of Jim's Studebaker, watching God's chaotic world spin beneath me. “That one,” He shouts to the heavenlies. “That raggedy one. I choose her because she knows her lack, because she knows her insatiable need for a father. Someday she'll cling to me.” As I trace my fifth-grade hand over the brick wall leading to the office, He knows I am about to embark on a journey of fatherlessness, enduring the gaping hole that comes from a longing unfulfilled,” writes Mary in the first chapter. Mary writes some stirringly graphic and tough chapters on sexual abuse, abandonment, grief, and the often lacking relationship between her and her mother. She writes about her own struggles as a wife and parent.
The Celtics define a Thin Place, “as a place where heaven and the physical world collide, one of those serendipitous territories where eternity and the mundane meet. Thin describes the membrane between the two worlds, like a piece of vellum, where we see a holy glimpse of the eternal—not in digital clarity, but clear enough to discern what lies beyond. Thin Places are snatches of holy ground, tucked into the corners of our world, where, if we pay close attention, we might just catch a glimpse of eternity.” Her book is a collection of the Thin Places in her life; places of tragedy, hurt, betrayal, and fear, but what people meant for evil God used for good.
Her words eerily echo my own daily struggles and thoughts. I was struck by what she wrote in regards to her relationship to her mother during her later years as a college student, “Ours is a relationship of undulation. Pain, forgiveness, misunderstanding—all flow together to create a complicated fountain. I spring from her. She springs from me. And sometimes the water runs dry. And so often I'm thirsty.” Her sexual abuse makes me weep because she did not get any help and had nowhere to turn. The abuse affected her marriage. Having never known a friend who was sexually abused, nor thankfully, never had that experience, I can only imagine the lifelong pain Mary writes in her memoirs.
Mary writes about her struggles with gaining others approval. I can understand having tried to get approval all of my life. It's a bucket with a hole in the bottom in which you futily try to fill with your hopes, dreams and love, but when you pick it up, it all drains out of the bottom. “Isn't it ironic that I have the deepest fellowship with Jesus when I give up my need to control the relationships in my life? My relationship with Him grows rich when I place my reputation in the hands that are scarred by the hatred of others,” says Mary in the chapter titled, Like Me. I struggle with this every day. It is natural to want people to like you. It makes you feel good when you gain the respect of those around you. It is a well which promises to run dry. Only clinging to the Living Water of Jesus will you find sustenance, not in the opinions of other less than perfect human-beings.
The copy of Thin Places is on my desk. I am going to spend some time in prayer. I want someone who is suffering, who has suffered, and who still struggles, to read this book. A fatherless or motherless person who has felt that void for years; an abused person who cannot see the light in her dark life; a person who needs to drink up Jesus' love for them. I will give this away to that person. If you are that person, write me a letter why. If you know that person, write me a letter. Pay it forward. If you have grown up without a mother or father and believe you are not loved, think again; Jesus made you. You are a precious creation having been born in a fallen world. Find your Thin Place; embrace your past; forgive your past; and in the midst of the darkness, find the light. He's waiting for you to come Home.
Nikole Hahn
www.thehahnhuntinglodge.com
Zondervan requested my review.
June 12, 2010
I suspect if you took a survey of 10, 100, even 1,000 people, you would not find one person who would answer the questions openly and honestly. Sadly, this is true for most Christians. We live behind a façade, some thicker than a brick wall, and not even our closest family members and friends know the real person behind that façade.
This is not the case in Thin Places, a memoir. Mary DeMuth has exposed her life and bared her soul to the world. She has done so with dignity and grace.
Here is the back cover synopsis:
“Thin places are snatches of holy ground, tucked into the corners of our
world, where we might just catch a glimpse of eternity. They are ‘aha’
moments, the beautiful realizations.”
In her moving spiritual memoir, Mary DeMuth traces the winding path of
thin places in her life, places where she experienced longing and healing more intensely than before. Mary’s story invites you to a deeper understanding of your own story. She calls you to discover new ways to look for God in the past so that you might experience Him more profoundly in the present…A God ready to break through any ordinary day or extraordinary pain and offer you a glimpse of eternity.
Although one may not be able to identify with Mary’s childhood, there is much wisdom to be gained from reading this book. Thin Places is a poignant, moving story that will touch your heart and change your life.
This is not the case in Thin Places, a memoir. Mary DeMuth has exposed her life and bared her soul to the world. She has done so with dignity and grace.
Here is the back cover synopsis:
“Thin places are snatches of holy ground, tucked into the corners of our
world, where we might just catch a glimpse of eternity. They are ‘aha’
moments, the beautiful realizations.”
In her moving spiritual memoir, Mary DeMuth traces the winding path of
thin places in her life, places where she experienced longing and healing more intensely than before. Mary’s story invites you to a deeper understanding of your own story. She calls you to discover new ways to look for God in the past so that you might experience Him more profoundly in the present…A God ready to break through any ordinary day or extraordinary pain and offer you a glimpse of eternity.
Although one may not be able to identify with Mary’s childhood, there is much wisdom to be gained from reading this book. Thin Places is a poignant, moving story that will touch your heart and change your life.
September 14, 2010
“Thin places are holy places and surely God was in this place”
Mary DeMuth is a very talented writer, but much more a gifted vessel. In this memoir, she conveys hurt, hope, and healing as she talks about her life with glimpses of the God’s sovereignty.
It is not a book that ‘excuses’ adult behavior because of childhood experiences. It is a book that reveals what God can do through a life in spite of horrible acts of violence and abuse. Why did God allow Mary DeMuth’s life to unfold in this painful way.?
Why? Only God knows this. He does and allows what He pleases to bring us into close fellowship with Him. And what He did with Mary DeMuth was gift her with wonder and send her out with pen and paper to tell the world.
James MacDonald states that “Behind every hurt in your life, God is responsible – make no mistake about it.” This is grown-up spirituality. To look back, know the hurt, feel the pain, and the release that comes from handing it over to a great God.
This book is a welcomed read to any Christian, unbeliever, and particularly to those who’ve endured abuse. When I finished it, I smiled and knew that the entire book was the handiwork of God in a life.
Encouraging and enlightening even though some parts are hard to read, I recommend it highly.
Reviewed by: Keiki Hendrix
Reviewed for: The Vessel Project
Mary DeMuth is a very talented writer, but much more a gifted vessel. In this memoir, she conveys hurt, hope, and healing as she talks about her life with glimpses of the God’s sovereignty.
It is not a book that ‘excuses’ adult behavior because of childhood experiences. It is a book that reveals what God can do through a life in spite of horrible acts of violence and abuse. Why did God allow Mary DeMuth’s life to unfold in this painful way.?
Why? Only God knows this. He does and allows what He pleases to bring us into close fellowship with Him. And what He did with Mary DeMuth was gift her with wonder and send her out with pen and paper to tell the world.
James MacDonald states that “Behind every hurt in your life, God is responsible – make no mistake about it.” This is grown-up spirituality. To look back, know the hurt, feel the pain, and the release that comes from handing it over to a great God.
This book is a welcomed read to any Christian, unbeliever, and particularly to those who’ve endured abuse. When I finished it, I smiled and knew that the entire book was the handiwork of God in a life.
Encouraging and enlightening even though some parts are hard to read, I recommend it highly.
Reviewed by: Keiki Hendrix
Reviewed for: The Vessel Project
February 1, 2010
With courage and honesty, Mary DeMuth writes of her struggle through numerous childhood traumas including neglect, the death of her father, and being raped at the age of five. Woven in the poignant prose are threads of Mary’s sometimes wry sense of humor and glimmers of grace which comes not as a swooping cure-all, but as the ever present and constant guidance of a holy God. In what Mary describes as thin places, she experiences Jesus, his beauty, and his provision for her life.
Although those who’ve experienced similar abuse will likely find the memoir a place of shared community, there are many chapters with universal themes. In particular, I found the chapter on envy to be one that touched me. Envy of childhood friends who had fancier houses, thinner bodies, and more boyfriends morphed into adult envy of moms with better behaved children, cleaner houses, and spiritual auras that left me feeling inferior. So in many respects, Mary has built a bridge that spans generations and circumstances, letting those who savor her words know they are not alone, no matter what life has dealt them. Well done, Mary.
Although those who’ve experienced similar abuse will likely find the memoir a place of shared community, there are many chapters with universal themes. In particular, I found the chapter on envy to be one that touched me. Envy of childhood friends who had fancier houses, thinner bodies, and more boyfriends morphed into adult envy of moms with better behaved children, cleaner houses, and spiritual auras that left me feeling inferior. So in many respects, Mary has built a bridge that spans generations and circumstances, letting those who savor her words know they are not alone, no matter what life has dealt them. Well done, Mary.
May 26, 2012
Thin Places by Mary DeMuth is nothing short of the explosive supernatural healing power of God on paper. Her words are like talons that hooked into my heart and reeled me into her past, a world where suffering is extreme but grace is sufficient; a place where her world and mine collide. This is my story, indeed.
What if you could retrace your life and discover its thin places-places where the division between this world and the eternal fades?
“Thin Places are matches of holy ground, tucked into the corners of our world, where we might just catch a glimpse of eternity. They are aha moments, the beautiful realization.
In her moving spiritual memoir, Mary DeMuth traces the winding path of thin places in her life, places where she experienced longing and healing more intensely than before. Mary’s story invites you to a deeper understand of your own story. She calls you to discover new ways to look for God in the past so that you might experience him more profoundly in the present…A God read to break through any ordinary day or extraordinary pain and offer you a glimpse of eternity.
What if you could retrace your life and discover its thin places-places where the division between this world and the eternal fades?
“Thin Places are matches of holy ground, tucked into the corners of our world, where we might just catch a glimpse of eternity. They are aha moments, the beautiful realization.
In her moving spiritual memoir, Mary DeMuth traces the winding path of thin places in her life, places where she experienced longing and healing more intensely than before. Mary’s story invites you to a deeper understand of your own story. She calls you to discover new ways to look for God in the past so that you might experience him more profoundly in the present…A God read to break through any ordinary day or extraordinary pain and offer you a glimpse of eternity.
August 21, 2012
To say Mary DeMuth had a rough childhood would be an understatement. Raised by a hippie mother and a series of stepdads, she was repeatedly assaulted at a very young age by some neighbor boys, with no one to rescue her. It's difficult even to read about her experiences, but God's love still shines through it all. The book highlights a series of "thin places" - places past and present where she's very aware of God's presence in her life. I probably describe too many memoirs as "brave," but this one is extremely so. It takes guts as a Christian to present your life not as a textbook before-and-after-Jesus testimony, but as an ongoing work of God, still in progress. To publicly wrestle with your past and your scars, and admit that bad things happened to you and you don't know why, but you know God loves you anyway. This is real stuff, and I'm thankful to Mary DeMuth for writing it.
February 10, 2010
As I'm reading Thin Places: A Memoir, it strikes me. This book is written by a courageous beauty! A little girl forced to grow up without protection and care. The story of too many little girls. But this one stepped out of her comfort zone hoping to help other women heal from the atrocities of child rape, neglect, and abuse. It takes courage to tell the truth. It takes courage to shimmer in the harmful shame that claims personhood has no value. Mary is a courageous beauty shimmering and sparkling from within showing other women they can too.
I love Mary's writing, willowy and evocative. Chapter four especially spoke to me,
"As I wear the sin of another
Unwillingly
Like a scratchy coat
In summer's heat."
And I understood her pain.
I love Mary's writing, willowy and evocative. Chapter four especially spoke to me,
"As I wear the sin of another
Unwillingly
Like a scratchy coat
In summer's heat."
And I understood her pain.
January 2, 2012
The author's self-absorption is perhaps explainable due to her childhood sexual abuse, however, it is tedious to read her long-winded life complaints. Long into adulthood, she blames her parents/mother for her troubles and doesn't seem to take any accountability. Also, I'm a Christian. but the long passages were too much for me and got boring. I got the feeling that if I knew the author in real life, she would be the type of person who would rattle on about her own problems and never come up for air. Ever. Therefore the kind of friend I would eventually have to quit inviting places because the one-note gets really, really draining. My apologies to the author, since I do believe her story, it just wasn't an enjoyable way to spend my time.
March 2, 2015
"Strive to be one of the few who walks this earth with the ever present realization--every morning, noon and night--that the unknown that people call heaven is directly behind those things that are visible." L. B. Cowman
I love this book. I devoured it and wanted so many times to just weep and then rejoice and then weep some more. I'm thankful for her honesty and her devotion to Jesus that she would write such a raw memoir and see the thin places where Jesus is right there with her and the space between heaven and earth is, well, thin. I loved how DeMuth wove this story together and shared so many parts of herself that most of us would want to keep hidden.
I love this book. I devoured it and wanted so many times to just weep and then rejoice and then weep some more. I'm thankful for her honesty and her devotion to Jesus that she would write such a raw memoir and see the thin places where Jesus is right there with her and the space between heaven and earth is, well, thin. I loved how DeMuth wove this story together and shared so many parts of herself that most of us would want to keep hidden.
November 17, 2010
It's about time someone wrote with honesty.
This memoir features a fair amount of trifles -- moments that don't seem that big -- that we all share, that make up our lives from day to day and in the end really do make a difference. DeMuth shares them, does not shy away from them, acknowledges their role in us.
But the book also is bold to expose abuse, heavy and painful, and tells the truth about the way abuse hangs on our bones for longer than we could ever know.
Mary DeMuth is a daring Christian writer. That kind of courage only comes from knowing grace.
This memoir features a fair amount of trifles -- moments that don't seem that big -- that we all share, that make up our lives from day to day and in the end really do make a difference. DeMuth shares them, does not shy away from them, acknowledges their role in us.
But the book also is bold to expose abuse, heavy and painful, and tells the truth about the way abuse hangs on our bones for longer than we could ever know.
Mary DeMuth is a daring Christian writer. That kind of courage only comes from knowing grace.
November 12, 2017
I didn't like this book. I note it seems to be popular/useful to some. I see the author is honest in her pain and suffering due to life experiences, but I found this book has some disturbing, careless and incorrect statements, e.g. p21 'So Paul listens and writes these words. Just for me. (And maybe for you too)." P76 "Is it that I'm a megalomaniac, only happy when I'm perfect at everything? If that is the case, then I don't need Jesus, do I?" P76 &77 Even though the writer is a Christian at this point of her life she says she doesn't understand God's love for her "...that I'm not worthy to take up space on this earth.....Call me masochistic." P82 "One moment, the entire courtroom cheers Jesus - the next they want His neck broken." Actually, the crowd wanted to crucify him. P82 "When I get to heaven, I long to see balcony folks, applauding how Jesus touched them through small me." P85 "...convince me I am practically in bed with Satan when I dance to secular music." P86 is a description of a vision of Jesus dancing which I found unsettling. P87 "...when I actively look for fleeces and signs and supernatural leadings..." (Look for fleeces?) P106 "The truth? My heart is clean when I'm near Jesus Christ. And He is often found in distressing disguises." There's also a statement (somewhere) about God dealing with Job that has an awful verb.
Such statements and ones like these should have been omitted or changed. I couldn't finish the book. The author should have been more thoughtful and truthful rather than trying to chose attention-grabbing words.
Such statements and ones like these should have been omitted or changed. I couldn't finish the book. The author should have been more thoughtful and truthful rather than trying to chose attention-grabbing words.
December 8, 2025
Mary shares in a very vulnerable and raw way how she struggled through abuse as a child. Growing up in a home unseen by her drunk parents, and sexually abused by boys in her neighborhood, she opens herself up in a way that allows you to see her pain but also see the journey of healing. She makes it very clear that her healing did not come from something within herself but rather because of the Lord Jesus Christ. I appreciate that through her journey she is reaching out to help people who are in need of healing. I also admire that she recognizes she will always carry her past with her but it will not define her. On the other side of the abuse she talks about how it has shaped her as a mother, including the fear she battles that she will not love her children well. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has gone through abuse or for anyone who loves someone who has gone through abuse.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Loved it. Couldn't put it down. I will read it again. I have a copy in my library. I save this rating for my absolute favorite books.
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Enjoyed it very much.
⭐⭐⭐: Liked it.
⭐⭐: Finished it, just ok.
⭐: I didn't like it, don't recommend it. Probably didn't finish it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Loved it. Couldn't put it down. I will read it again. I have a copy in my library. I save this rating for my absolute favorite books.
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Enjoyed it very much.
⭐⭐⭐: Liked it.
⭐⭐: Finished it, just ok.
⭐: I didn't like it, don't recommend it. Probably didn't finish it.
July 13, 2021
I've long been a follower of May Demuth either by way of Instagram or her Podcast (Pray Every Day). This memoir is the first time I've read anything which she has authored. It's gritty and grace-filled pages lead you on a journey of redemption. I related so well to the disfunction in her child /teenage years and her hunger for acceptance and truth. This is not a shiny, pie-in-the-sky self help book that will give you all the answers to soothe the ache in your soul. This is running the gauntlet with Mary as a violated little girl, an angst filled teen, a young wife with oh so much baggage. She is you. She is me. And she writes with beauty and clarity while exposing her soul to the elements and pointing to the Cross. It's a life changing read. And her life story as a broken jar of clay is a glorious reminder that we are not what was done to us, what neglect or abandonment we experienced. Nor are we who we pretend to be. We are broken, messy, daughters of the King who wrestle with the concept of unconditional love. And in the end He is all that matters.
July 20, 2023
I’ve owned this memoir for a while and wish I would have read it sooner. The writing is great and the memoir contains many relatable, wise insights. I made note of several passages in my paper copy that I plan to highlight in a Kindle version, too.
Mary’s story elicited a hot soup of emotions—anger, sadness, and compassion— because of rape, parental neglect, and a perverted father experience. Yet, Mary’s story sprinkled hope and grace into the soup, too. I especially appreciated the honesty and vulnerability contained in this memoir. Mary wrote how these experiences affected not only her choices, but also of how her personality affected—and continues to affect—how she processes these damaging experiences and influences. She writes wisely and eloquently of how she’s learned to lean into her God-infused strengths and weaknesses with a healthier mindset. She walks through the ups and downs of life knowing that God sees her. That’s a beautiful way to live.
Mary’s story elicited a hot soup of emotions—anger, sadness, and compassion— because of rape, parental neglect, and a perverted father experience. Yet, Mary’s story sprinkled hope and grace into the soup, too. I especially appreciated the honesty and vulnerability contained in this memoir. Mary wrote how these experiences affected not only her choices, but also of how her personality affected—and continues to affect—how she processes these damaging experiences and influences. She writes wisely and eloquently of how she’s learned to lean into her God-infused strengths and weaknesses with a healthier mindset. She walks through the ups and downs of life knowing that God sees her. That’s a beautiful way to live.
December 20, 2020
DeMuth is "wide open" with the painful events in her life as a child--and how those events have affected all of the rest of her life. In writing this memoir, she hopes that readers will better understand their own stories. As she addresses her losses and deep hurts, she also shares how Jesus Christ moved in her heart and life to bring healing and wholeness.
"Thin places are snatches of holy ground, tucked into the corners of our world, where we might just catch a glimpse of eternity. They are aha moments, the beautiful realizations." At times those snatches occurred when pain and joy intersected. DeMuth asserts "thin places" allowed her to encounter Christ.
Any person who has experienced abuse or neglect as a child will identify with DeMuth's longing for a father, her hunger for affirmation, her desire for acceptance, along with a deep sense of worth and value.
"Thin places are snatches of holy ground, tucked into the corners of our world, where we might just catch a glimpse of eternity. They are aha moments, the beautiful realizations." At times those snatches occurred when pain and joy intersected. DeMuth asserts "thin places" allowed her to encounter Christ.
Any person who has experienced abuse or neglect as a child will identify with DeMuth's longing for a father, her hunger for affirmation, her desire for acceptance, along with a deep sense of worth and value.
March 18, 2018
This is a great memoir. Mary takes us through the "thin places" in her past and present life ~ places where she felt stress and duress. She shows us how those very times of weakness draw her close to God, help her see how he can redeem even the worst things. I appreciated her self revelation and her lack of feeling sorry for herself, and her ability to see the good in what doesn't seem at all good. She presents her life as hopeful and full of God's grace, and I found her words challenging and encouraging.
December 22, 2019
I put this book on a "to be read" list many years ago--so long ago that I no longer remember where I saw it or why I wanted to read it.
The title refers to the author's belief that at times in her life there have been "thin places" that allowed her to glimpse lessons from God more easily than she might at other times. Her memoir is an attempt to recount those times and the lessons she's learned.
The title refers to the author's belief that at times in her life there have been "thin places" that allowed her to glimpse lessons from God more easily than she might at other times. Her memoir is an attempt to recount those times and the lessons she's learned.
September 6, 2021
While not an in-depth Biblical review of how Jesus reaches through the veil to touch individuals, I thought this was a great thought- provoking look at how one could look at aspects of life, both good and bad, and see them as places where we can connect with the Unseen God. I thought the author was courageous in her revealing of life events and subsequent psychological issues, and yet determined not to be made bitter by them, but to see them as opportunities to see more of Jesus.
December 21, 2021
Mary DeMuth has a wonderful way of expressing herself. She shares pain from her past in a way that is enlightening but not overwhelming. I was grieved by the abuse she suffered and am grateful for the healing God has and continues to bring to her. She's very real, very authentic, and I love that in her writing! Thank you Mary, for opening a window to many of us who are aware of such situations but haven't experienced them ourselves.
July 15, 2023
Thin places. "Snatches of time...when we sense God intersecting our world in tangible, unmistakable ways." Mary DeMuth writes about her thin places, the places in her life where she met Jesus. I could have written many of these chapters! She often tells my own story, and I weep as I see Jesus in the places I didn't recognize Him before. And in the chapters that weren't "mine," I wept for the pain she experienced, and gloried in the overwhelming compassion of Jesus that met her there.
December 11, 2016
To be clear, this is a memoir about child abuse, not at all a book about thin places in the classic sense. Rather, it is a misappropriation of the term and a redefining of it in an evangelical rather than a mystical sense. While I have all the sympathy in the world for what the author endured, if you are looking for a book about thin places, this isn't it. Very disappointing.
April 4, 2018
A truth that leads to grace
Thin places Is a raw truth told by Mary so that women and girls can live in full healing of the truth that happened to them. Well written, easy but painful story to follow. Gods grace is all over this story for women. Thin places Made me reflect on the thin places of my life where I could cling to the God who sees.
Thin places Is a raw truth told by Mary so that women and girls can live in full healing of the truth that happened to them. Well written, easy but painful story to follow. Gods grace is all over this story for women. Thin places Made me reflect on the thin places of my life where I could cling to the God who sees.
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May 1, 2020Given her dark past (thin places), Mary E. DeMuth had to overcome some demoralizing secrets. In her quest to "belong," she finds that with God she is enough. Between her childhood and adulthood, she became all that God called her to be. I am never amazed at what God can do through any of us. His perfect handiwork.
July 2, 2021
What a beautiful, raw story. I’m not normally a memoir person, but man did this one move me. Mary DeMuth so perfectly puts into words what Thin Places are and gives so many examples of meeting Jesus in those places—places one may not recognize or that may not always seem obvious. I leave this feeling so much respect and admiration for MD.
September 20, 2021
2.5 stars. This memoir started out strong, so many passages spoke directly to my own experiences, thoughts and feelings. However, the rest devolved into the kind of cheesiness and bad poetry only a straight evangelical christian could accomplish. By the end it felt utterly incoherent and the last 30% felt like unnecessary additions. disappointing :/
June 4, 2024
Stumbled into this memoir, thinking it was actually another book, and could not stop. A life beautiful and horrifying simultaneously, she weaves through the pain and loneliness and joy of her life and faith and pain, starly real and a perfect, perfect testimony. If you've been abused, or felt neglected, or likely both, I hope this book helps to heal
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