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The Atheist's Prayer: A Memoir of Gratitude
The Atheist’s Prayer is not a book about religion.
It’s a book about the parts of us that survive when religion leaves—or when we leave it.
I’ve been excommunicated twice. Divorced once. I’ve been tossed out of faith, love, and community and left to sort through the wreckage. I’ve wandered through shame, loneliness, and the awkwardness of starting over—sometimes crying, sometimes laughing at how absurd it all was.
What I found is self-love doesn’t need anyone’s permission, and prayer isn’t owned by any creed. You can call it gratitude, meditation, or just a quiet moment when you remember you’re alive. It’s yours. It always has been.
Through stories that are equal parts raw and ridiculous, I’ll take you from losing everything you thought defined you to realizing you already had what mattered most.
If you’ve ever felt rejected, disconnected, or stuck between faith and skepticism, you’ll find a place here. You don’t have to believe in anything new—you just have to believe you’re worth showing up for.
It’s a book about the parts of us that survive when religion leaves—or when we leave it.
I’ve been excommunicated twice. Divorced once. I’ve been tossed out of faith, love, and community and left to sort through the wreckage. I’ve wandered through shame, loneliness, and the awkwardness of starting over—sometimes crying, sometimes laughing at how absurd it all was.
What I found is self-love doesn’t need anyone’s permission, and prayer isn’t owned by any creed. You can call it gratitude, meditation, or just a quiet moment when you remember you’re alive. It’s yours. It always has been.
Through stories that are equal parts raw and ridiculous, I’ll take you from losing everything you thought defined you to realizing you already had what mattered most.
If you’ve ever felt rejected, disconnected, or stuck between faith and skepticism, you’ll find a place here. You don’t have to believe in anything new—you just have to believe you’re worth showing up for.
263 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 9, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 25, 2026
I read this book because I saw a billboard for it while driving down the freeway.
First, what I loved:
I was so excited to hear from someone who was excommunicated from the Mormon church twice. Such a pull.
I love the symbolism of the cactus and cactus blossoms.
I loved hearing about "coming back to center". In my opinion, people being able to recognize how amazing they are at their core is important regardless of religion. Taking care of you first and then letting everything else follow is a great mindset.
Now the criticism: The book felt like it was missing details. If I'm going to read a book about someone who was excommunicated twice, I want to hear the gritty details. I still have only a vague understanding of why excommunications happened. Not to sound like a bishop trying to get more details out of teen confessing sexual sins, but that's kinda the point of reading a memior - you want the juicy information. And in my opinion, if you want to write a memior using the hook of twice excommunicated, there better be some good details and vulnerability in sharing those details.
I also felt like the subtitle "A Memior of Gratitude" fell flat. I didn't feel the pull of being grateful for religion or grateful from lack of religion. It just felt like a story of finding oneself after leaving religion. Which isn't bad - just not what I would expect based on the title.
First, what I loved:
I was so excited to hear from someone who was excommunicated from the Mormon church twice. Such a pull.
I love the symbolism of the cactus and cactus blossoms.
I loved hearing about "coming back to center". In my opinion, people being able to recognize how amazing they are at their core is important regardless of religion. Taking care of you first and then letting everything else follow is a great mindset.
Now the criticism: The book felt like it was missing details. If I'm going to read a book about someone who was excommunicated twice, I want to hear the gritty details. I still have only a vague understanding of why excommunications happened. Not to sound like a bishop trying to get more details out of teen confessing sexual sins, but that's kinda the point of reading a memior - you want the juicy information. And in my opinion, if you want to write a memior using the hook of twice excommunicated, there better be some good details and vulnerability in sharing those details.
I also felt like the subtitle "A Memior of Gratitude" fell flat. I didn't feel the pull of being grateful for religion or grateful from lack of religion. It just felt like a story of finding oneself after leaving religion. Which isn't bad - just not what I would expect based on the title.
January 17, 2026
A Reminder to Live with Gratitude
Such a beautiful memoir about gratitude. It’s written so beautifully and full of meaningful lessons that really make you stop and think. I didn’t want to put it down once I started reading. A heartfelt, inspiring book.
Such a beautiful memoir about gratitude. It’s written so beautifully and full of meaningful lessons that really make you stop and think. I didn’t want to put it down once I started reading. A heartfelt, inspiring book.
February 10, 2026
I couldn't put this book down! I laughed and I cried. It's well written, vulnerable, hilarious, and insightful. A must read for anyone who is religious, was religious, and anyone finding their path.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews