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Wild in the Hollow: On Chasing Desire and Finding the Broken Way Home
Amber Haines is a woman haunted by God. Like Eve in the Garden, she craved the fruit that she thought would lead her to freedom. But the whispers of temptation led her instead down a devastating path toward isolation, dissatisfaction, and life-altering choices. In her most broken moment, Amber met God waiting for her in the fallout, freely offering her grace and life.This is a story of the God who makes himself known in broken places. In prose that is at once lyrical and utterly honest, a brave new voice takes readers on a windswept journey down the path of brokenness to healing, satisfaction, and true intimacy with God. Amber calls readers to dispense with the pretty bows we use to dress up our stories and instead trust God to take our untidy, unfinished lives and make them free, authentic, and whole. Anyone who struggles with doubt or holds secrets, anyone who feels marginalized or like she is missing something, will find in Amber a sister and an inviting voice back home, into the heart of God.
209 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
July 20, 2015
This is a raw and poetic reflection on desire and the universal longing for home. We are, each of us, hungry like Eve, but what should we in the church do with those untamed hungers? Hide them? Disown them? Feed them in secret? Amber's story traces her own, very particular, journey from hunger to home, and it was the particular details I loved the most: the taste of wild muscadine grapes, the joy of a blue plastic pool slide with no pool at the bottom, old quilts stacked in the attic, and childhood adventures near swimming holes and copperhead dens.
The details give this book its rhythm and richness, but the spiritual insights are for all of us. Here is a Christian book that doesn't tell us how to aim higher but lower. To that place where the kingdom of God breaks in.
The details give this book its rhythm and richness, but the spiritual insights are for all of us. Here is a Christian book that doesn't tell us how to aim higher but lower. To that place where the kingdom of God breaks in.
August 14, 2016
I have found, not often, but enough to take notice of it, that sometimes I come across a book exactly when I'm needing it. Wild in the Hollow has been on my radar for quite a while, so when I saw that the Kindle verison was on sale, I snapped it up, despite preferring hard copies for my non-fiction reads. I downloaded it simply to get a feel for the book by reading the first few pages, ending up reading the entire chapter, then ended up reading nearly a quarter of the book in one sitting.
This is easily one of my favorite books this year. Amber's writing is authentic and real. It has a beautiful poetic quality to it. I loved her honesty about her struggles. She doesn't sugar-coat anything and is very honest about the things that make her stumble and speaks candidly about handling the moments and events that shake her faith.
This book has encouraged me to take a look at the things I desire, to see what kind of fruit that my desires are producing. Despite Amber chasing after her many desires, she could never outrun her anxious heart. So many things she said resonated with me and move me to tears.
I read this one sentence over and over again. Dealing with anxiety and depression does not mean that a person can't have joy. No matter if that beast rears it's head over and over again, we lack in nothing - God made us for joy, and Jesus will always meet us in our low places.
I highly, highly recommend this book. I started reading this not even realizing that my heart was craving such lyrical writing, such a real and personal journey. I can't wait to read it again.
This is easily one of my favorite books this year. Amber's writing is authentic and real. It has a beautiful poetic quality to it. I loved her honesty about her struggles. She doesn't sugar-coat anything and is very honest about the things that make her stumble and speaks candidly about handling the moments and events that shake her faith.
This book has encouraged me to take a look at the things I desire, to see what kind of fruit that my desires are producing. Despite Amber chasing after her many desires, she could never outrun her anxious heart. So many things she said resonated with me and move me to tears.
"Depression and anxiety may be avenues of surrender that I have to walk until I die. Yet I am still lacking in nothing. I was made for joy."
I read this one sentence over and over again. Dealing with anxiety and depression does not mean that a person can't have joy. No matter if that beast rears it's head over and over again, we lack in nothing - God made us for joy, and Jesus will always meet us in our low places.
"He loved me first. This is the entire thing. This is the essence, the meat, and the foundation of his kingdom. His love is a force that turns me fearless and giving, even in the midst of rubble."
I highly, highly recommend this book. I started reading this not even realizing that my heart was craving such lyrical writing, such a real and personal journey. I can't wait to read it again.
August 4, 2015
There aren't enough words yet to articulate what this book did for me. I've been reading Amber's words for seven years and they always find a way to reach in and comfort while reminding me of my wild roots. This book was no exception.
August 7, 2015
I am speechless. I don't know what to say. Amber C. Haines' "Wild in the Hollow" rendered me speechless many times over during the course of reading her story.
Do you know what broken is? Do you know how to describe when you're broken? Do you know what to say when you encounter God in the most abrupt and gentle way? Do you know how to describe all your encounters so vividly through words that makes the most impact without straining through your voice or your body language? Amber Haines does. She shared her life with us through words that seems to float. It's words as such that gives meaning to how beautiful our God-given language is. Her artistic prose allows us to relate. You may not have encountered the same experiences or made the same choices as she did, but how she relates her thoughts, her desires and her journey with God ties us together. Her words are your words your thoughts one time or another. The intimacy she related charged through a barrier strangers typically have with one another. You're reading her story, and her brutal honesty and courage in sharing it, enraptured your heart with every word you read.
This is a book that I recommend to my fellow females. Again, it's not to say you shared the same past as Amber or even agree with her in any of her opinions, but we all will or have experienced brokenness and the desire to search and find a way home - to God is what we strive for. God is the healer of all.
NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the book tour from the publisher, Revell for an honest review.
http://justcommonly.blogspot.com
Do you know what broken is? Do you know how to describe when you're broken? Do you know what to say when you encounter God in the most abrupt and gentle way? Do you know how to describe all your encounters so vividly through words that makes the most impact without straining through your voice or your body language? Amber Haines does. She shared her life with us through words that seems to float. It's words as such that gives meaning to how beautiful our God-given language is. Her artistic prose allows us to relate. You may not have encountered the same experiences or made the same choices as she did, but how she relates her thoughts, her desires and her journey with God ties us together. Her words are your words your thoughts one time or another. The intimacy she related charged through a barrier strangers typically have with one another. You're reading her story, and her brutal honesty and courage in sharing it, enraptured your heart with every word you read.
This is a book that I recommend to my fellow females. Again, it's not to say you shared the same past as Amber or even agree with her in any of her opinions, but we all will or have experienced brokenness and the desire to search and find a way home - to God is what we strive for. God is the healer of all.
NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the book tour from the publisher, Revell for an honest review.
http://justcommonly.blogspot.com
August 30, 2015
This book is everything. You should read it for chapters 14 and 15 alone. Wild in the Hollow is a holy benediction, a glimpse of what the Church could and should be. Amber's prose is fully her own: her voice is a gift to us all.
August 8, 2015
This book was poetic and brutally-honest storytelling by Amber Haines. It was a quick read that I was able to get through in a handful of evenings, where she takes us on a journey through her beautifully broken faith journey, family life, and faith community. More than anything, it's a love story: love for God, her husband Seth, her four boys, nature, art, writing, and all of life. I adore Seth and Amber's spirits and writing and their hearts both shine through in Amber's words. I have a bad habit of turning down the corners of pages that speak to me, and I swear I turned down almost every page of the last 30. This was the most powerful portion of the book, where memoir turned into sermon and her words had me saying "Yes, me too!" I will be referring back to those words and folded down pages often in the coming weeks. Passages I want to remember: "Depression and anxiety may be avenues of surrender that I have to walk until o die. Yet I am still lacking in nothing. I was made for joy. When I laugh, it is a loud invitation. When I am l living out my gifts and walking in the fruit of the spirit, I know good and well my place." "Instead of leaving the church, we show up and go underground. We are undercover practitioners of discernment, those who sniff out pain. We worship him everywhere, carry him with us...we are not distracted by surface things, the buying and selling, the committee meetings. Those are not our business. Our business is to seek out those who are poor in spirit, the lonely, and the ones dying of shame. Our business is to love our enemies and to forgive those who persecute us. Our business is to model how all desires are summed up in Christ."
September 1, 2015
The day I finished this book, I began re-reading it. The layers of insight and vulnerability and beautiful, gut-wrenching truth are too many to absorb in a single reading... and this is absolutely a book to be absorbed. Amber has a singular gift for turning the nitty-gritty of life into poetry, and it makes for one of those rare emotionally engaging reading experiences; I was just as likely to find myself startled into laughter as I was startled into tears. Amber's whole life is woven into Wild in the Hollow, so it's understandable how Wild in the Hollow spoke to my whole life as I read. It made me want to wake up, to re-examine the patterns of my life, and to sense all over again the love of a God who meets us on the floor. Highly, highly recommended!
July 27, 2015
I read this in one sitting, but the different parts of the book did not gel particularly well for me. I thought the beginning suffered from being a little bit too aware of itself, as if it was trying too hard to impress. That calmed down a bit as the book went on, and I think that Amber is best when she is writing about daily life, the quotidian mysteries. I did not think the Haiti and Italy parts added much of anything to the story - maybe you had to be there? Overall it moved quickly but did not seem to say very much.
March 2, 2016
I got lost in some of Haines' details and vision. But overall, a beautifully written book, full of redemption.
March 2, 2020
There is so much to be learned from this book.
I finished it this morning, sipping black coffee at my little kitchen table, morning light filtering in through the blinds on the other side of my barely-furnished apartment. I feel a cold or a flu coming on, the hot water in my shower won't turn on, and I haven't done my laundry in weeks. Despite all of this, I am the most filled up I have been in years. I am in a happy, healthy season, and this book, this strange little metaphor for kingdom and purpose and desire, found me at exactly the right time.
To know my story is to know that a lot of things have gone "wrong." There's been a lot of good intentions and a lot of these intentions boiling over like water left in a pot too long. There's been a lot of expectations deferred. Amber C. Haines gets that. She understands and she can speak into those places in a voice that is at once unique, fresh, familiar, and wise. This is not your typical self-help book where the author calls you "girlfriend" and tells you to spend less time on social media. This book barely speaks about MY story at all - this is Amber sharing HER story. But, in doing so, she shares the greater story of love, of wholeness, of healing, of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And isn't that MY story, as well?
I'm very grateful to Amber for sharing her story. This is a book I will treasure and carry for a long time. I want to revisit it and track all the threads pulling through in her writing, but for now, I will simply sit and sip black coffee, praising the God who fills all desire by loving first. Isn't that the whole thing?
(4.5 stars - I knocked off one half-star for some well-meaning but tone-deaf comments on other cultures/races.)
I finished it this morning, sipping black coffee at my little kitchen table, morning light filtering in through the blinds on the other side of my barely-furnished apartment. I feel a cold or a flu coming on, the hot water in my shower won't turn on, and I haven't done my laundry in weeks. Despite all of this, I am the most filled up I have been in years. I am in a happy, healthy season, and this book, this strange little metaphor for kingdom and purpose and desire, found me at exactly the right time.
To know my story is to know that a lot of things have gone "wrong." There's been a lot of good intentions and a lot of these intentions boiling over like water left in a pot too long. There's been a lot of expectations deferred. Amber C. Haines gets that. She understands and she can speak into those places in a voice that is at once unique, fresh, familiar, and wise. This is not your typical self-help book where the author calls you "girlfriend" and tells you to spend less time on social media. This book barely speaks about MY story at all - this is Amber sharing HER story. But, in doing so, she shares the greater story of love, of wholeness, of healing, of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And isn't that MY story, as well?
I'm very grateful to Amber for sharing her story. This is a book I will treasure and carry for a long time. I want to revisit it and track all the threads pulling through in her writing, but for now, I will simply sit and sip black coffee, praising the God who fills all desire by loving first. Isn't that the whole thing?
(4.5 stars - I knocked off one half-star for some well-meaning but tone-deaf comments on other cultures/races.)
August 10, 2015
*I was given a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion*
I came across the introduction of Wild in the Hollow through a post on Amber’s blog. When I read the words, “We often hold on to memories, places, people, and things because there’s something of home in them.” I wanted to cry. Someone finally put to words the answer to a question I’ve always had.
Why do I hold so tightly?
I’ve been told since I was young, that I have a death grip. Being born with Cerebral Palsy, my left side is stronger than my right. When I feel I am about to fall, I try grasping for anything that will give me control. Amber’s story, though different is exactly the same.
If I conform, I will fit. I think everyone can relate to this on some level. We want to fit with the world. We want to please. We want to fill up our brokenness with anything that is convenient.
We want to appear fine, so we will be accepted. What I loved most about Amber’s story, the desire of want that lead her to everything else before Jesus. What could be bought. What could be consumed. God showed himself through the need. The desperation
She saw this on a trip to Haiti, where there is poverty but so much joy.
“The hope I saw and heard among Jesus’s people in Haiti was the kind that makes the lame walk.”
In Tuscany, where people were content in the giving of their work.
“I saw this love of work everywhere, how the old man etched at leather and the young man proudly scooped his father his father’s gelato.”
I was fascinated by how she came to revelation of Jesus through two countries outside of the United States. How he is joyful, giving in the midst of hollowness. This opened up my eyes to how we all desire,
If you want to come face to face with your desire for home, read this book.
If you like poetic verse that weaves truth through pain, read this book.
If you want to know why pieces of your childhood always seem distant yet close, read this book.
Amber wrote , “Hope is not without a wait.” I hope you don’t wait too long to pick up this book.
Homesickness was never meant to be journeyed alone. But with Jesus.. The healer through our sorrows.
I came across the introduction of Wild in the Hollow through a post on Amber’s blog. When I read the words, “We often hold on to memories, places, people, and things because there’s something of home in them.” I wanted to cry. Someone finally put to words the answer to a question I’ve always had.
Why do I hold so tightly?
I’ve been told since I was young, that I have a death grip. Being born with Cerebral Palsy, my left side is stronger than my right. When I feel I am about to fall, I try grasping for anything that will give me control. Amber’s story, though different is exactly the same.
If I conform, I will fit. I think everyone can relate to this on some level. We want to fit with the world. We want to please. We want to fill up our brokenness with anything that is convenient.
We want to appear fine, so we will be accepted. What I loved most about Amber’s story, the desire of want that lead her to everything else before Jesus. What could be bought. What could be consumed. God showed himself through the need. The desperation
She saw this on a trip to Haiti, where there is poverty but so much joy.
“The hope I saw and heard among Jesus’s people in Haiti was the kind that makes the lame walk.”
In Tuscany, where people were content in the giving of their work.
“I saw this love of work everywhere, how the old man etched at leather and the young man proudly scooped his father his father’s gelato.”
I was fascinated by how she came to revelation of Jesus through two countries outside of the United States. How he is joyful, giving in the midst of hollowness. This opened up my eyes to how we all desire,
If you want to come face to face with your desire for home, read this book.
If you like poetic verse that weaves truth through pain, read this book.
If you want to know why pieces of your childhood always seem distant yet close, read this book.
Amber wrote , “Hope is not without a wait.” I hope you don’t wait too long to pick up this book.
Homesickness was never meant to be journeyed alone. But with Jesus.. The healer through our sorrows.
December 31, 2015
I finished this book in less than a week which does not ever happen for me. I do not devour books, especially non fiction. I plod through them, usually reading more than one at a time. I am a doer, not a sit and read-er, so to say this book hooked me from beginning to end is an understatement.
Amber's journey with life and God, her marriage, the church and friendships all looked different from mine in the details but oh so similar in the heart that craves home, belonging, and an answer with what to do with desires that burn deep.
As I read Amber's journey, I felt like I was making a deep, soul connected friendship with her and having my own experiences with the church in particular put into words I have never been able to find in order to express.
Amber's poetic style of writing was a draw for me though may be off putting for others. I found her descriptions to be inviting and absolutely beautiful. I loved her use of metaphor throughout the book and found her voice to be completely uniquely her own.
Amber's journey with life and God, her marriage, the church and friendships all looked different from mine in the details but oh so similar in the heart that craves home, belonging, and an answer with what to do with desires that burn deep.
As I read Amber's journey, I felt like I was making a deep, soul connected friendship with her and having my own experiences with the church in particular put into words I have never been able to find in order to express.
Amber's poetic style of writing was a draw for me though may be off putting for others. I found her descriptions to be inviting and absolutely beautiful. I loved her use of metaphor throughout the book and found her voice to be completely uniquely her own.
February 22, 2016
I have to be honest. So many friends recommended this to me and while I loved her writing the first few chapters I wasn't connecting with her and I was feeling pulled down by the story I just couldn't get into it. I was kind of wondering about all the recommendations. But....the writing and her use of metaphors was fantastic...that is my favorite. After tossing it aside for a week or more I picked it back up and all I can say is I am so glad I did. I finished it that day.
The book turned a corner for me and I could relate to so much of what she was writing, there are parts of her story way different from mine but parts I totally connected with on a deep level. The last couple chapters is something I've been wrestling with and feeling so confused about lately. She put into words what I didn't know how to express. I'm going to have to go back and read parts again. I need the spirit to do a similar work in me.
The book turned a corner for me and I could relate to so much of what she was writing, there are parts of her story way different from mine but parts I totally connected with on a deep level. The last couple chapters is something I've been wrestling with and feeling so confused about lately. She put into words what I didn't know how to express. I'm going to have to go back and read parts again. I need the spirit to do a similar work in me.
January 24, 2016
I know Amber's voice from years of reading the RunaMuck, and the thing I love about Amber's voice is that it's hers. I guess I don't know another like it. Wild in the Hollow is straight-up Amber, and this is how it works: she writes in poetic bursts loosely strung. I had the sense that I was traveling along a beaded necklace, and sometimes (just to be honest) I wasn't sure about the in-between parts, or how one concept tied to the next. Then I would find myself, awe-struck, in the center of another bright bead of thought. I think the inside of Amber's brain must look like the work of Dave Chihuly. If you're not into poetic language or abstract thought, Wild in the Hollow may not appeal to you, but I loved it.
January 21, 2016
The first part of the book was her life story. It was written dramatically so it was definitely a page-turner, but it was also written very poetically so it skimmed right past some major life events without really telling much story. About 3/4 of the way through the book, I felt like it turned into a passionate rant against the American church. Maybe a few years back I would have enjoyed this book, as I too was feeling weary with the organized church, but I no longer find myself in that season, so I had trouble connecting with Amber’s frustration/passion.
I really liked the parts of Chapter 14 where she talked about trying to satisfy our desires outside of the Spirit of God. I have a lot of highlights in that chapter that I look forward to going back to review.
I really liked the parts of Chapter 14 where she talked about trying to satisfy our desires outside of the Spirit of God. I have a lot of highlights in that chapter that I look forward to going back to review.
May 26, 2017
I have very mixed feelings on this book. I enjoyed the first half and her early story, but somewhere mid way her prose wore me out. The way she summarized events seemed strange and overall, her writing was difficult to not get frustrated with. She made some great points about Christianity and faith, but her writing left me with a somewhat depressing/defeated feeling of her journey as a Christ follower. Her language is beautiful and you can tell she is a wonderful writer and poet, but a narrative in her style was just too difficult for me.
September 2, 2015
One of the most captivating books I have read in quite some time. It's brutally beautiful, if that makes any sense. Parts read like a well-written novel, others like the memoir that it is. Highly recommended.
January 10, 2016
What a phenomenal book. Amber writes with more honesty and vulnerability than anyone I've ever read. This is one part memoir, one part theology, one part poetry and all parts wonderful. Well done, Mrs. Haines! I'm looking forward to more.
August 29, 2015
I enjoyed about 1/3 of this book. The other 2/3 was so overly dramatic and repetitive. Extremely fragmented. I plowed through only because it got good reviews but it was painful.
June 15, 2016
At times I thoroughly enjoyed this book, while at times I had no idea what she was trying to say.
March 19, 2019
Wow, where to start. I was really looking forward to this book. This book rambled and was garbled. I worry about the author. She has obvious problems but likes to live in lala land. Wow.
August 11, 2015
Wild in the Hollow is a grace-filled well-written narrative. I found Amber Haines' memoir to be introspective, but never self-pitying. In short, Wild in the Hollow is a story about the human spirit and the unconditional love of God that will always meet us and mend us wherever we may be.
___________________________________________
WHAT I LIKED:
+ Amber Haines shares her story in a casual language making it feel as though she is sitting right next to you sharing her life journey over a cup of tea. I found myself savoring Wild in the Hollow ― reading it faithfully. Suffice it to say, many of the ordeals and internal struggles Amber Haine’s shares within this book reminded me of my own pilgrimage through life; consequently, I was able to relate and identify with her pain and thirst for love, truth and freedom
+ Amber Haines’ writing is raw, poetic and rings with truth. You truly feel the desperation, the anguish and despair in her voice. Additionally, her storytelling is so affecting! It will make you embrace your own brokenness and lead you to see the redemptive power in your own heart. To boot, I came to appreciate the art of poetry and the freedom and wonderful escape creative writing exudes
+ Wild in the Hollow is not the typical Christian memoir where you find you are unable to identify with the author because most of their life story revolves around success and prosperity. Instead, Wild in the Hollow is a book that unmasks our humanity ― our imperfections and echoes the sentiment: everything is going to be okay
+ Not once, did Amber Haines’ story feel as though she wrote this account to gain our sympathy. Instead, Haines extends her hand to fellow suffers through the pages of this beautiful book and smiles through a flow of messy tears and assures the reader that God can redeem the worst of circumstances. It was a breath of fresh air even for me
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKED:
I was not able to find any setbacks in this book; especially since it is a true account
AFTERTHOUGHTS:
In the end, I arrived at the conclusion that we are all broken in one way or another and this is okay, because God is able to take all the shattered-sharp-edges of our lives and fashion them into something exquisitely beautiful. One more thing, due to the grim and weighty content of the book, I would recommend that all readers approach this book with an open mind
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August 7, 2015
When I hear that a mother of four boys has written a book — that she has poured out words in the midst of putting out small fires — I’m there. I want to read thoughts that were written while keeping everyone alive, while maintaining infrastructure and rule of law. When my four boys were all in single digit ages, I had all I could do to get both legs shaved at the same time, but Amber C. Haines, author of Wild in the Hollow and blogger at TheRunaMuck.com, has produced an exquisite memoir of her journey toward the Kingdom; of finding a place at the table and realizing that the King is her friend; and that in loving the body of Christ, her heart found a home.
Amber portrays her Alabama childhood in all its haunting and wistful beauty of place like a post-modern Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. However, this bio is no Suzy Christian’s Quest for the Perfect Potluck, so mothers will want to pre-read and give careful consideration to their daughter’s readiness before passing the book along. Discerning mums will know when the time is right, because unfortunately, it is important for young women to hear the truth that pre-marital sex is a rickety bridge made from guilt. It’s a wedge that drives shame into married love where it has no place. Amber is frank, raw, and real about the sham Christianity that leads nowhere and the ingenious ways we find on this cracked-up planet to be unfaithful to all our vows. She writes of grief like “a tight lead jacket,” so Wild in the Hollow is a somber read at times, but . . .
Then there is the joy of community, the “lens of prophetic hope” that recognizes the Kingdom in the wake of devastation, the gift of seeing the unseen and of recognizing fruit where it grows in others. Amber’s memoir tracks like life through the realization that although “the earth was made to quake,” there is Refuge. I don’t believe that it is a spoiler to share (with joy) that Amber finds her way home in a living dream for the church: healed by the Healer; loving the outsider and the despised; worshiping everywhere.
Amber ends her tale at the clothesline where my days so often begin and end, where the predictable symmetry of sleeve, sleeve, pants leg, pants leg frees the mind, holding space in the heart for love and joy — even in the wild.
This book was provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Amber portrays her Alabama childhood in all its haunting and wistful beauty of place like a post-modern Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. However, this bio is no Suzy Christian’s Quest for the Perfect Potluck, so mothers will want to pre-read and give careful consideration to their daughter’s readiness before passing the book along. Discerning mums will know when the time is right, because unfortunately, it is important for young women to hear the truth that pre-marital sex is a rickety bridge made from guilt. It’s a wedge that drives shame into married love where it has no place. Amber is frank, raw, and real about the sham Christianity that leads nowhere and the ingenious ways we find on this cracked-up planet to be unfaithful to all our vows. She writes of grief like “a tight lead jacket,” so Wild in the Hollow is a somber read at times, but . . .
Then there is the joy of community, the “lens of prophetic hope” that recognizes the Kingdom in the wake of devastation, the gift of seeing the unseen and of recognizing fruit where it grows in others. Amber’s memoir tracks like life through the realization that although “the earth was made to quake,” there is Refuge. I don’t believe that it is a spoiler to share (with joy) that Amber finds her way home in a living dream for the church: healed by the Healer; loving the outsider and the despised; worshiping everywhere.
Amber ends her tale at the clothesline where my days so often begin and end, where the predictable symmetry of sleeve, sleeve, pants leg, pants leg frees the mind, holding space in the heart for love and joy — even in the wild.
This book was provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
August 13, 2015
Wild in the Hollow, by Amber C. Haines, is a piece of contemporary art with classic strokes added to enhance the overall feel of this vivid work. The feel is both honest and lyrical, both old yet new. On one hand I identified on another I wanted to turn away. The questions—underneath and above—resonated deep and gave my soul permission to face hidden places in myself and exposed places in others.
I was moved by stand alone lines that helped the whole speak loudly to covered places.
pg. 54 “Our efforts to tame ourselves were desperate.”
pg. 139 “And the more I added to the list, the less I accomplished. Every step of striving was a wall, a barrier against love. I wasn’t even sad anymore. I was distracted. Every effort toward control made me more numb, and if you can’t feel, you aren’t alive anymore. Control was killing me.
pg. 167 “I saw the American church, and it was a marketplace. It was in the slavery of debt, creating more product to keep itself afloat. I saw the church, and it had syncretized Jesus with consumerism, a new religion. I saw us, and we were self-proclaimed and congratulated leaders on a platform. We were fat and unsatisfied like kingdom-building Babylon. We were the consumer eating each other alive, consuming each other as products until we were nearly gone, until we saw ourselves as exiles again.
And I realized my personal quest for desire had led me astray.
I have a long way to go, but I am taking the next step towards them, towards Him.
And Amber reminded me of that with her words. Her winding journey led her right where she started. She came home, but not the same. She arrived, not on a stage but on the wood floor, forged by cross. With her toes on grass, and clothes on line, she entered fully into the story that He had written. She came home, to Him, broken yet whole.
Through the words along this crooked path I was set straight. I awoke to the trouble I was in and we are in. I saw the brokenness as an arrow pointing straight to our desperate need for the Object of our desire, Jesus.
I was moved by stand alone lines that helped the whole speak loudly to covered places.
pg. 54 “Our efforts to tame ourselves were desperate.”
pg. 139 “And the more I added to the list, the less I accomplished. Every step of striving was a wall, a barrier against love. I wasn’t even sad anymore. I was distracted. Every effort toward control made me more numb, and if you can’t feel, you aren’t alive anymore. Control was killing me.
pg. 167 “I saw the American church, and it was a marketplace. It was in the slavery of debt, creating more product to keep itself afloat. I saw the church, and it had syncretized Jesus with consumerism, a new religion. I saw us, and we were self-proclaimed and congratulated leaders on a platform. We were fat and unsatisfied like kingdom-building Babylon. We were the consumer eating each other alive, consuming each other as products until we were nearly gone, until we saw ourselves as exiles again.
And I realized my personal quest for desire had led me astray.
I have a long way to go, but I am taking the next step towards them, towards Him.
And Amber reminded me of that with her words. Her winding journey led her right where she started. She came home, but not the same. She arrived, not on a stage but on the wood floor, forged by cross. With her toes on grass, and clothes on line, she entered fully into the story that He had written. She came home, to Him, broken yet whole.
Through the words along this crooked path I was set straight. I awoke to the trouble I was in and we are in. I saw the brokenness as an arrow pointing straight to our desperate need for the Object of our desire, Jesus.
August 19, 2015
The message Amber is conveying is all about reality, brokenness and pain, a soul searching for God, trying to fill the void with everything - but God, rebellion masked as freedom, a struggle with the rules and the natural bent towards breaking those rules, the feeling of never being good enough. I think this book is relative to many of us.
Amber tells her story, a story of brokenness, but not a story of hopelessness. In that brokenness she met God, the Savior. From there she began a new life, which, although, it looked beautiful on the outside, was still masking the internal pain she felt. Not until she came to the place of complete surrender did God then take the away the shame and guilt and make beauty from ashes. She had been let down by people, the church, and a list of look good rules she couldn't follow, when what she longed for was acceptance, unconditional love, and a place to call home. Amber is such a great example of the importance of community, of loving people to Jesus, not to a list of rules they can't follow and allowing the Holy Spirit to do the work. Of remembering we are all broken and in need of a Savior and Jesus came to seek and to save the Lost.
As I read this book, I struggled with the writing style a little. It wasn't so much that I didn't like it as much as it is written in a style I am not really used to reading, so I really had to concentrate to read it. But Amber's story resonated with me. I could have been reading about myself. Amber is a very gifted artist and has taken some poetic classes. She has the gift of expression. Me being a country girl and all, who sometimes doesn't even get plain ole' English, just kind of struggled through some of it. I can't say I agree with all of her theology since, at times I am not sure I understood correctly what she was trying to express. But it's a story many can relate to, and Amber offers hope that comes through Jesus, and that I know to be true from my own personal brokenness.
I was blessed with a copy of this book from Revell in exchange for a review.
Amber tells her story, a story of brokenness, but not a story of hopelessness. In that brokenness she met God, the Savior. From there she began a new life, which, although, it looked beautiful on the outside, was still masking the internal pain she felt. Not until she came to the place of complete surrender did God then take the away the shame and guilt and make beauty from ashes. She had been let down by people, the church, and a list of look good rules she couldn't follow, when what she longed for was acceptance, unconditional love, and a place to call home. Amber is such a great example of the importance of community, of loving people to Jesus, not to a list of rules they can't follow and allowing the Holy Spirit to do the work. Of remembering we are all broken and in need of a Savior and Jesus came to seek and to save the Lost.
As I read this book, I struggled with the writing style a little. It wasn't so much that I didn't like it as much as it is written in a style I am not really used to reading, so I really had to concentrate to read it. But Amber's story resonated with me. I could have been reading about myself. Amber is a very gifted artist and has taken some poetic classes. She has the gift of expression. Me being a country girl and all, who sometimes doesn't even get plain ole' English, just kind of struggled through some of it. I can't say I agree with all of her theology since, at times I am not sure I understood correctly what she was trying to express. But it's a story many can relate to, and Amber offers hope that comes through Jesus, and that I know to be true from my own personal brokenness.
I was blessed with a copy of this book from Revell in exchange for a review.
August 17, 2015
This book touched me in such deep ways and in such deep places. It's hard to put into words how much this book affected me. Let's just say I loved it from the first to the last page.
Amber writes from a place of gut wrenching honesty and, at times, I just wanted to look away because it was written from a place I know well. The place of anxiety and wondering if I'm enough, if what I'm doing is enough, and of trying to fill it with everything but Jesus. She speaks to my heart in a way that only another person who is on the journey can speak. I understood exactly where she was coming from and admire her for being so willing to share her whole heart.
She was at her very lowest point when she cried out to God for help and He answered her. This book is about her journey from that low point to the point of realizing that Jesus is all she needs. He is enough. She takes us on many detours as she gets to this point and I'm sure, like me, you'll recognize those detours. Her struggles as she fights the anxieties that come her way and hard times like when her youngest son gets horribly sick.
My very favorite part of the book is where she talks about the church and what it's meant to be. How we are lacking in what it should be in America. I knew that I was feeling these same feelings for a long time, but she was able to put into writing what I have for a long time felt. She inspired me to start with myself in making my church better.
I have to say I just savored this book page by page. Amber's writing is so very beautiful - almost poetic - and the beauty of her writing just draws you in. I was so touched by her fantastic style of writing and I hated to see the end of the book because it was so amazing. This really is a must read book for any woman who wants to draw closer to Jesus. I encourage you to buy this book today! This book will be staying on the forefront of my bookshelf so I can revisit it again and again. It's just that good! I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!
*This book was provided to me for my honest review by Baker Publishing
Amber writes from a place of gut wrenching honesty and, at times, I just wanted to look away because it was written from a place I know well. The place of anxiety and wondering if I'm enough, if what I'm doing is enough, and of trying to fill it with everything but Jesus. She speaks to my heart in a way that only another person who is on the journey can speak. I understood exactly where she was coming from and admire her for being so willing to share her whole heart.
She was at her very lowest point when she cried out to God for help and He answered her. This book is about her journey from that low point to the point of realizing that Jesus is all she needs. He is enough. She takes us on many detours as she gets to this point and I'm sure, like me, you'll recognize those detours. Her struggles as she fights the anxieties that come her way and hard times like when her youngest son gets horribly sick.
My very favorite part of the book is where she talks about the church and what it's meant to be. How we are lacking in what it should be in America. I knew that I was feeling these same feelings for a long time, but she was able to put into writing what I have for a long time felt. She inspired me to start with myself in making my church better.
I have to say I just savored this book page by page. Amber's writing is so very beautiful - almost poetic - and the beauty of her writing just draws you in. I was so touched by her fantastic style of writing and I hated to see the end of the book because it was so amazing. This really is a must read book for any woman who wants to draw closer to Jesus. I encourage you to buy this book today! This book will be staying on the forefront of my bookshelf so I can revisit it again and again. It's just that good! I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!
*This book was provided to me for my honest review by Baker Publishing
August 29, 2016
pg. 12 "Home... it's the place we know we can go, where we'll be received and fed. It's where we know we have a name......the homesickness for a people and a place to belong, the desire for the freedom and safety you mind find there, the thrill and the comfort."
pg. 90 "There is no rest. There never is for the one who desires to fit but doesn't believe she is loved."
pg. 104 "..The wilderness was our home. We were burdened for justice in a broken system, desirous of community, and begging for healing in our own home."
pg. 134 "During the time we had allowed for healing, we couldn't see through the fog. We isolated ourselves. We couldn't see what it was we needed. I was able to feed and clothe my children. I read to them once in a while, and then all my energy went into keeping them alive."
pg. 135 "I was living a pretend version of myself so I didn't have to face the pain of having a child who wouldn't heal or a community that couldn't provide a permanent fit."
pg. 143 "I was able to get up and see that my striving against sadness had driven me to despair.....To reject the shared suffering and sorrow with our Lord is to invite despair, and to walk as a burden bearer with him is to oppose despair. Sorrow is the very place that hope and joy intermingle, because without sorrow, there is no whisper of hope. Joy is a sustainer, the strength in weakness, and hope is what calls us forward toward our healing. In this world, we will have trouble, but our great Peacemaker walks in the sorrow with us, and he is our joy. He is our peace. He is our hope. Sorrow does not overcome."
pg. 190 "Revolution starts low, with the outsiders, even the despised ones."
pg. 90 "There is no rest. There never is for the one who desires to fit but doesn't believe she is loved."
pg. 104 "..The wilderness was our home. We were burdened for justice in a broken system, desirous of community, and begging for healing in our own home."
pg. 134 "During the time we had allowed for healing, we couldn't see through the fog. We isolated ourselves. We couldn't see what it was we needed. I was able to feed and clothe my children. I read to them once in a while, and then all my energy went into keeping them alive."
pg. 135 "I was living a pretend version of myself so I didn't have to face the pain of having a child who wouldn't heal or a community that couldn't provide a permanent fit."
pg. 143 "I was able to get up and see that my striving against sadness had driven me to despair.....To reject the shared suffering and sorrow with our Lord is to invite despair, and to walk as a burden bearer with him is to oppose despair. Sorrow is the very place that hope and joy intermingle, because without sorrow, there is no whisper of hope. Joy is a sustainer, the strength in weakness, and hope is what calls us forward toward our healing. In this world, we will have trouble, but our great Peacemaker walks in the sorrow with us, and he is our joy. He is our peace. He is our hope. Sorrow does not overcome."
pg. 190 "Revolution starts low, with the outsiders, even the despised ones."
August 30, 2015
This review is also posted on Book by Book.
Wild in the Hollow: On Chasing Desire & Finding the Broken Way Home is a book that will not be forgotten easily. Within its pages, Amber C. Haines crafts lyrical sentences that beautifully capture both the utter brokenness of her past and the unending grace that brings her home to healing and freedom. Raw honesty and vulnerability cover every aspect of the personal story she tells, making it seem entirely approachable and genuine with a thematic and emotional universality in the midst of the specifics of her experience. An outstanding and captivating read, Wild in the Hollow is one book I would not hesitate to recommend again and again. It is well-worth the read.
Thanks to Revell Reads, I received a copy of Wild in the Hollow and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
Wild in the Hollow: On Chasing Desire & Finding the Broken Way Home is a book that will not be forgotten easily. Within its pages, Amber C. Haines crafts lyrical sentences that beautifully capture both the utter brokenness of her past and the unending grace that brings her home to healing and freedom. Raw honesty and vulnerability cover every aspect of the personal story she tells, making it seem entirely approachable and genuine with a thematic and emotional universality in the midst of the specifics of her experience. An outstanding and captivating read, Wild in the Hollow is one book I would not hesitate to recommend again and again. It is well-worth the read.
Thanks to Revell Reads, I received a copy of Wild in the Hollow and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
August 14, 2015
Wild in the Hollow is an engaging autobiography of a young woman who lost her way, finds herself in a desperate place, and opens herself to the God of hope, purpose, and security. Amber Haines' vulnerability is to be admired as she puts down on paper thoughts, attitudes, and actions that most of us keep close to our skin. Her journey through young adulthood, marriage, and motherhood goes many directions while she looks for authenticity from others and herself. I identified with her strong desire to live for God, love her husband, and raise her children well. Her stark openness hit like I was reading her journal. She searches for peace, a simple life uncluttered with our society's trappings so she can focus on God's reality for her. I found myself underlining many truths throughout the book. I doubt this will be the last we hear from her.
I received this book from Revell Reads/Net Galley for my honest review which I have given.
I received this book from Revell Reads/Net Galley for my honest review which I have given.
October 20, 2015
Quite often, when I receive a book for review, I will place it on the shelf to be read in order. I did that with this book and I wish I did not. This book left me feeling so refreshed.
The author, Amber C. Haines shares her story with God. she tells about how God never leaves her no matter how many times she may been saved. She shares her story, honestly and openly in a world where these things are not shared often enough. Through her story the reader is able to see God's love no matter how many time we fall. Even if we turn our back on God, He is always there for us.
To experience God's love through another's story, this is the book to read. I was given this book by Revell books and the author in exchange for my honest review.
The author, Amber C. Haines shares her story with God. she tells about how God never leaves her no matter how many times she may been saved. She shares her story, honestly and openly in a world where these things are not shared often enough. Through her story the reader is able to see God's love no matter how many time we fall. Even if we turn our back on God, He is always there for us.
To experience God's love through another's story, this is the book to read. I was given this book by Revell books and the author in exchange for my honest review.
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