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Crossing the Waters: Following Jesus through the Storms, the Fish, the Doubt, and the Seas
Winner of the 2017 Christianity Today Book of the Year for Christian Living. Get ready for the wettest, stormiest, wildest trip through the Gospel you've ever taken!
The gospels are dramatic, wild, and wet―set in a rich maritime culture on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus' first disciples were ragtag fishermen, and Jesus' messages and miracles teem with water, fish, fishermen, net-breaking catches, sea crossings, boat-sinking storms, and even a walk on water. Because this world is foreign and distant to us, we've missed much about the disciples' experiences and about following Jesus―until now. Leslie Leyland Fields―a well-known writer, respected biblical exegete, and longtime Alaskan fisherwoman―crosses the waters of time and culture to take us out on the Sea of Galilee, through a rugged season of commercial fishing with her family in Alaska, and through the waters of the New Testament.
You'll be swept up in a fresh experience of the gospels, traveling with the fishermen disciples from Jesus' baptism to the final miraculous catch of fish―and also experiencing Leslie's own efforts to follow Christ out on her own Alaskan sea. In a time when so many are "unfollowing" Jesus and leaving the Church, Crossing the Waters delivers a fresh encounter with Jesus and explores what it means to "come, follow me."
The gospels are dramatic, wild, and wet―set in a rich maritime culture on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus' first disciples were ragtag fishermen, and Jesus' messages and miracles teem with water, fish, fishermen, net-breaking catches, sea crossings, boat-sinking storms, and even a walk on water. Because this world is foreign and distant to us, we've missed much about the disciples' experiences and about following Jesus―until now. Leslie Leyland Fields―a well-known writer, respected biblical exegete, and longtime Alaskan fisherwoman―crosses the waters of time and culture to take us out on the Sea of Galilee, through a rugged season of commercial fishing with her family in Alaska, and through the waters of the New Testament.
You'll be swept up in a fresh experience of the gospels, traveling with the fishermen disciples from Jesus' baptism to the final miraculous catch of fish―and also experiencing Leslie's own efforts to follow Christ out on her own Alaskan sea. In a time when so many are "unfollowing" Jesus and leaving the Church, Crossing the Waters delivers a fresh encounter with Jesus and explores what it means to "come, follow me."
234 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2016
53 people are currently reading
279 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Leyland Fields
31 books133 followersWhen you see her, Leslie may be wearing a silk dress and fishnets or wearing Xtra-Tuff boots and mending fishing nets, depending on whether she’s at her fishcamp in the Alaska wilderness or on a speaking tour “Outside.” She’s happy in both places talking about the books, places and topics that move her most.
She's the multi-award winning author of 12 books, with her 12th forthcoming in April, 2020. (Your Story Matters) Her list includes Crossing the Waters: Following Jesus through the Storms, the Fish, the Doubt and the Seas; Forgiving Our Fathers and Mothers; The Spirit of Food: 34 Writers on Feasting and Fasting Toward God (Cascade), Surviving the Island of Grace: A Life on the Wild Edge of America (Thomas Dunne), and Parenting is Your Highest Calling . . . and Eight Other Myths That Trap Us in Worry and Guilt (Waterbrook), and five others. Her essays have won a number of awards and have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Christianity Today, Beliefnet, Books and Culture, Orion, etc. She takes on garbage, a theology of the body, culture-making, motherhood, narrative theology and points between and beyond. Her essays have won Pushcart nominations, the William Wilberforce Award and the Virginia Faulkner Award.
“As much as I love words on the page, I’m not fully satisfied until I get to speak them in person with others,” Leslie adds. She says she’s honored to travel and share from her passions nationally and internationally at conferences, universities, churches and retreats. With three master’s degrees, she has taught collegiate and undergraduate classes for many years, including six years in Seattle Pacific University’s MFA program. If she can’t see her audience, radio is a good second. She has appeared on more than 150 radio shows including Family Life Today, Prime Time America, Keepin' the Faith, Chris Fabry Live!
Leslie blogs at www.leslieleylandfields.com about life in her house, in the wild and on the road. She lives in Kodiak, Alaska with her husband and two teens. In the summer, her four older children return to their fishcamp island where cell phones don’t work, and where they all happily (sometimes) work together in commercial salmon fishing. You can reach her at leslieleylandfields@gmail.com
She's the multi-award winning author of 12 books, with her 12th forthcoming in April, 2020. (Your Story Matters) Her list includes Crossing the Waters: Following Jesus through the Storms, the Fish, the Doubt and the Seas; Forgiving Our Fathers and Mothers; The Spirit of Food: 34 Writers on Feasting and Fasting Toward God (Cascade), Surviving the Island of Grace: A Life on the Wild Edge of America (Thomas Dunne), and Parenting is Your Highest Calling . . . and Eight Other Myths That Trap Us in Worry and Guilt (Waterbrook), and five others. Her essays have won a number of awards and have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Christianity Today, Beliefnet, Books and Culture, Orion, etc. She takes on garbage, a theology of the body, culture-making, motherhood, narrative theology and points between and beyond. Her essays have won Pushcart nominations, the William Wilberforce Award and the Virginia Faulkner Award.
“As much as I love words on the page, I’m not fully satisfied until I get to speak them in person with others,” Leslie adds. She says she’s honored to travel and share from her passions nationally and internationally at conferences, universities, churches and retreats. With three master’s degrees, she has taught collegiate and undergraduate classes for many years, including six years in Seattle Pacific University’s MFA program. If she can’t see her audience, radio is a good second. She has appeared on more than 150 radio shows including Family Life Today, Prime Time America, Keepin' the Faith, Chris Fabry Live!
Leslie blogs at www.leslieleylandfields.com about life in her house, in the wild and on the road. She lives in Kodiak, Alaska with her husband and two teens. In the summer, her four older children return to their fishcamp island where cell phones don’t work, and where they all happily (sometimes) work together in commercial salmon fishing. You can reach her at leslieleylandfields@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
February 5, 2018
I really liked this book more than I expected. I wasn't sure if the stories and the interplay with Biblical past would mesh well into the author's own life and experiences but it sure did. I also enjoyed learning about the Alaskan fishing life and I think that her journey to Israel seem to fit quite well, a very good read.
September 20, 2016
I had been waiting eagerly for Leslie Leyland Fields' new memoir to appear. Her previous Alaskan and Christian memoir left me breathless, Surviving the Island of Grace. What new and masterful merging of her life's stories and her Christian wisdom would come from her pen? So that's the background.
Four days ago, I tore open the Amazon envelope and there was Crossing the Waters. My next two days did not belong to me. Fields held me in her grip while I streaked through her book, eagerly rejoicing, eagerly pressing on for more.
Fields uses her honestly, her forthrightness, her vulnerability, her faith, her doubt, her practicality, her bravery, her anger and her succinctness--all of which are innate to her and perhaps, at least in potential, to all of us--as the emotional foundation of her story. On this foundation, she builds her story. Her two stories, really.
One is her own story of the high and the low of everyday events during a single season of salmon fishing with her husband, children, and helpers. Her other story is of her sojourn around the shores of the Sea of Galilee, talking fishing with modern Peters and Andrews and Johns--and talking Jesus with them, too, who are Jews. An Alaskan caster of nets in 2016, Fields sails with the Israeli casters of nets and experiences a storm with them, too. She brings the earlier prototypes of those same fishermen, from 2,000 years ago, to us in her story, and she enlivens them as she does so. She humanizes them, right through from the moment they are called upon to drop their nets and to follow. She shows us their doubts and their angers, and then their joys, right up until the end.
Fields' two stories twist together on the page, like the strands of a net. It is I who am caught in Fields' net--in Fields' story's net, woven of words. Other readers may experience the same thing; I think it would be hard to read Crossing the Waters and avoid being caught in Fields' net.
This is so because Fields is not only a writer who possesses exciting skill, she is a skillful writer who possesses a poet's heart. There is a poetic and confessional cadence in the book, which brings the reader, step by step, onward and upward, through Fields' doubts about Jesus, through the apostles' doubts about Jesus, through the reader's own doubts about Jesus (at least mine), all the way to her final two pages--which are triumphant. And then--like any human still asking why despite triumph--her words come down from triumph and are real.
Four days ago, I tore open the Amazon envelope and there was Crossing the Waters. My next two days did not belong to me. Fields held me in her grip while I streaked through her book, eagerly rejoicing, eagerly pressing on for more.
Fields uses her honestly, her forthrightness, her vulnerability, her faith, her doubt, her practicality, her bravery, her anger and her succinctness--all of which are innate to her and perhaps, at least in potential, to all of us--as the emotional foundation of her story. On this foundation, she builds her story. Her two stories, really.
One is her own story of the high and the low of everyday events during a single season of salmon fishing with her husband, children, and helpers. Her other story is of her sojourn around the shores of the Sea of Galilee, talking fishing with modern Peters and Andrews and Johns--and talking Jesus with them, too, who are Jews. An Alaskan caster of nets in 2016, Fields sails with the Israeli casters of nets and experiences a storm with them, too. She brings the earlier prototypes of those same fishermen, from 2,000 years ago, to us in her story, and she enlivens them as she does so. She humanizes them, right through from the moment they are called upon to drop their nets and to follow. She shows us their doubts and their angers, and then their joys, right up until the end.
Fields' two stories twist together on the page, like the strands of a net. It is I who am caught in Fields' net--in Fields' story's net, woven of words. Other readers may experience the same thing; I think it would be hard to read Crossing the Waters and avoid being caught in Fields' net.
This is so because Fields is not only a writer who possesses exciting skill, she is a skillful writer who possesses a poet's heart. There is a poetic and confessional cadence in the book, which brings the reader, step by step, onward and upward, through Fields' doubts about Jesus, through the apostles' doubts about Jesus, through the reader's own doubts about Jesus (at least mine), all the way to her final two pages--which are triumphant. And then--like any human still asking why despite triumph--her words come down from triumph and are real.
September 21, 2017
Leslie Fields provides the unique perspective of a real-life fisherman as she retells the stories of Jesus and his disciples alongside her own experiences as an Alaskan fisherman. An entertaining devotional for those looking for something new and exciting to deepen their Christian faith. Just reading the accomplishments she's done as a fisherman alone makes this a great read.
June 15, 2017
Thoreau once said that because he could not afford to travel, he was “Made to study and love this spot of earth more and more.” Author Leslie Leyland Fields gave me that same sense of place as she writes about life as a commercial fisherman in Alaska. She also breathes new life into old Bible stories as she relooks at the disciples in the storm, Jesus calling fishermen to be his disciples and the day Jesus said, "Come. Follow Me." The imagery is excellent. I will never look at jellyfish the same again. Or waves. Or storms. Or the call of Jesus on a life. Whether that following is in the going. Or in the staying.
October 24, 2016
Combining stories from her life in Alaska with the Gospel, Leslie Leyland Fields paints a vivid picture of several Biblical stories pertaining to water. Because she has spent so much time on the water (she and her family are commercial fishermen), Fields is able to explain many of the stories in a different light.
For example, I've heard sermons on Matthew 7, where Jesus speaks of fish and serpents. But until reading Crossing the Waters, I didn't make the connection that a water snake could easily get mixed in with the fish when a net is pulled in. This is one of many things I could list that were shown in a new light, in a way that made me think through Gospel stories in a fresh way, reexamining different angles and thinking through new meanings.
My biggest critique of the book is two-fold. 1) There are several terms related to the sea and to commercial fishing that I just did not understand. Several words or phrases weren't explained and left me feeling confused, like I was missing something important. I found myself stuck in places because I couldn't understand what was being described. 2) Fields jumps back and forth between Alaska and Israel without transitions.
I love that Fields went to Israel and spent time on the Sea of Galilee as preparation for this book. I was recently there myself, and hearing her perspective was great! I think it was vital for the writing of this book. However, with no warning a story would jump from Israel to Alaska and that often threw me off. It took a page or two to reorient myself and figure out where things were happening.
I do feel that the book left many things unanswered, especially regarding her marriage, relationship with her children, and unhappiness with life in Alaska. There are several stories in the book that keep you reading and wondering what will happen, but when I finished the book there wasn't any sort of conclusion. That was frustrating, but at the same time it makes sense because that's often how life and relationships are - you can't nail anything down 100% because we're all changing and becoming.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed the book. I don't think I will reread the entire thing again, but there are a few chapters that will certainly stick with me and I may read those again in the future. I would definitely suggest also reading through the questions at the end of the book, as those are very helpful and would be great discussion questions for a small group or bible study.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
For example, I've heard sermons on Matthew 7, where Jesus speaks of fish and serpents. But until reading Crossing the Waters, I didn't make the connection that a water snake could easily get mixed in with the fish when a net is pulled in. This is one of many things I could list that were shown in a new light, in a way that made me think through Gospel stories in a fresh way, reexamining different angles and thinking through new meanings.
My biggest critique of the book is two-fold. 1) There are several terms related to the sea and to commercial fishing that I just did not understand. Several words or phrases weren't explained and left me feeling confused, like I was missing something important. I found myself stuck in places because I couldn't understand what was being described. 2) Fields jumps back and forth between Alaska and Israel without transitions.
I love that Fields went to Israel and spent time on the Sea of Galilee as preparation for this book. I was recently there myself, and hearing her perspective was great! I think it was vital for the writing of this book. However, with no warning a story would jump from Israel to Alaska and that often threw me off. It took a page or two to reorient myself and figure out where things were happening.
I do feel that the book left many things unanswered, especially regarding her marriage, relationship with her children, and unhappiness with life in Alaska. There are several stories in the book that keep you reading and wondering what will happen, but when I finished the book there wasn't any sort of conclusion. That was frustrating, but at the same time it makes sense because that's often how life and relationships are - you can't nail anything down 100% because we're all changing and becoming.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed the book. I don't think I will reread the entire thing again, but there are a few chapters that will certainly stick with me and I may read those again in the future. I would definitely suggest also reading through the questions at the end of the book, as those are very helpful and would be great discussion questions for a small group or bible study.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
October 7, 2016
We all have books that become milestones in this life's journey. "Crossing The Waters" just became my latest marker.
Leslie Leyland Fields led me through the hard parts of faith so I could more honestly examine my own life as a Christ-follower. Fields tackles the difficult issues of suffering, the existence of hell, broken relationships, unrealized promises of Scripture, and so much more. Through her vulnerability, she drew me along (nodding my head as I too have struggled) and softened my heart so I could hear the hard lessons.
With each page I waded deeper into the biblical truths. Fields illustrated profound theological truths with action-filled stories from her decades in a commercial fishing family as well as exploration of the fisherman's life on the Sea of Galilee. I promise you will never be bored! As I became more intimately familiar with the profession shared by many of the first disciples, familiar Bible passages took on new meaning. Jesus calming the storm, Peter walking on water, feeding the 5000, and calming the storm at sea feel now more like experiences than distant, unrelatable stories.
I highly recommend this tenth book by Leslie Leyland Fields. When you set sail with Leslie, you will return a changed person.
Leslie Leyland Fields led me through the hard parts of faith so I could more honestly examine my own life as a Christ-follower. Fields tackles the difficult issues of suffering, the existence of hell, broken relationships, unrealized promises of Scripture, and so much more. Through her vulnerability, she drew me along (nodding my head as I too have struggled) and softened my heart so I could hear the hard lessons.
With each page I waded deeper into the biblical truths. Fields illustrated profound theological truths with action-filled stories from her decades in a commercial fishing family as well as exploration of the fisherman's life on the Sea of Galilee. I promise you will never be bored! As I became more intimately familiar with the profession shared by many of the first disciples, familiar Bible passages took on new meaning. Jesus calming the storm, Peter walking on water, feeding the 5000, and calming the storm at sea feel now more like experiences than distant, unrelatable stories.
I highly recommend this tenth book by Leslie Leyland Fields. When you set sail with Leslie, you will return a changed person.
November 5, 2016
Leslie is a gifted storyteller who not only presents her compelling personal stories with depth and clarity, but also breathes fresh life into even familiar gospel narratives. A surprising page-turner. Highly recommend.
April 23, 2018
Leslie Leyland Fields is an Alaskan fisherwoman. She fishes for salmon with her family every summer. She alternates sharing stories of their experiences on the waters in Alaska with her experience trekking around the Sea of Galilee one year, and things Jesus has taught her through them. She also explores the stories from the Gospels that dealt with boats and fishing, and shares insights that only a fisherman or fisherwoman would get from these stories.
I honestly had no idea what I was getting into when I picked up this book. I don't know if I would have picked it had I known it was written by an Alaskan fisherwoman, but I am glad I did read it. Leslie's experience lends insight into some of the Gospel stories I'd never have picked up on otherwise. It was good to read those stories through her eyes. For example, it was good to fully understand what it meant for those fishermen Jesus called to walk away from nets full to overflowing. I also appreciated her honesty in her stories. She doesn't pretend to always get it right or have it all together, but she shares how God is moving and shaping her and how she's moving forward on her Christian walk. Some of her Alaskan fishing stories were downright scary. I have absolutely no desire to ever try my hand at what her family does, but I can still appreciate her stories. If you want a different perspective on the Gospel stories about fishing, boating, and storms, this definitely provides a fresh view and you'll likely get refreshing new tidbits from these regular Sunday school stories you've heard hundreds of times.
Notes on content: No language issues or sexual content. Gross fishing details and a bloody accident related, drownings mentioned, and a death in a fire mentioned.
I honestly had no idea what I was getting into when I picked up this book. I don't know if I would have picked it had I known it was written by an Alaskan fisherwoman, but I am glad I did read it. Leslie's experience lends insight into some of the Gospel stories I'd never have picked up on otherwise. It was good to read those stories through her eyes. For example, it was good to fully understand what it meant for those fishermen Jesus called to walk away from nets full to overflowing. I also appreciated her honesty in her stories. She doesn't pretend to always get it right or have it all together, but she shares how God is moving and shaping her and how she's moving forward on her Christian walk. Some of her Alaskan fishing stories were downright scary. I have absolutely no desire to ever try my hand at what her family does, but I can still appreciate her stories. If you want a different perspective on the Gospel stories about fishing, boating, and storms, this definitely provides a fresh view and you'll likely get refreshing new tidbits from these regular Sunday school stories you've heard hundreds of times.
Notes on content: No language issues or sexual content. Gross fishing details and a bloody accident related, drownings mentioned, and a death in a fire mentioned.
November 14, 2025
4…5….4.5 Stars?
My biggest complaint is that the transitions were completely unmarked and I sometimes found myself confused as to what was happening. The book has 3 interchanging timelines
A. A very specific summer of fishing in Alaska, May-Sep? 2014. In chronological order. The author is 57 yrs old. Or maybe she’s 57 when she’s writing the book and she’s 56 in 2014?
B. A very specific trip to Israel. “A few months after the fishing season” November. The first leg with her son Noah, but the rest of her trip she is solo. In chronological order. The author is 56
C. Jesus’ life in relation to fishing/fisherman/boats, in chronological order.
So the book marches through these 3 storylines, sequentially, but mixed up, A-B-C…A-B-C…but sometimes A-C-B. The transitions are unmarked. And then there are numerous other flashbacks of life events mixed in, also unmarked other than “like that one time” or “I remember when”.
All 3 of her timelines are very interesting.
A. Fishing in Alaska, raising 6 kids in Alaska, work unending, mending nets, wondering if you’ll be able to pay the bills at the end of the season, getting caught in storms, or having your boat motor die, medical emergencies while living on an island.
B. Walking where Jesus walked. Boating where Jesus boated. Praying for a storm so she can see what kinds of storms the disciples got stuck in.
C. Jesus’ life from the perspective of a fisherman. “Fisherman don’t just up & quit” “The disciples knew these waters” “Who is this Jesus?” Her perspective was really unique.
So overall I thought it was well written and well told, I just wish it had been a little more clearly laid out.
My biggest complaint is that the transitions were completely unmarked and I sometimes found myself confused as to what was happening. The book has 3 interchanging timelines
A. A very specific summer of fishing in Alaska, May-Sep? 2014. In chronological order. The author is 57 yrs old. Or maybe she’s 57 when she’s writing the book and she’s 56 in 2014?
B. A very specific trip to Israel. “A few months after the fishing season” November. The first leg with her son Noah, but the rest of her trip she is solo. In chronological order. The author is 56
C. Jesus’ life in relation to fishing/fisherman/boats, in chronological order.
So the book marches through these 3 storylines, sequentially, but mixed up, A-B-C…A-B-C…but sometimes A-C-B. The transitions are unmarked. And then there are numerous other flashbacks of life events mixed in, also unmarked other than “like that one time” or “I remember when”.
All 3 of her timelines are very interesting.
A. Fishing in Alaska, raising 6 kids in Alaska, work unending, mending nets, wondering if you’ll be able to pay the bills at the end of the season, getting caught in storms, or having your boat motor die, medical emergencies while living on an island.
B. Walking where Jesus walked. Boating where Jesus boated. Praying for a storm so she can see what kinds of storms the disciples got stuck in.
C. Jesus’ life from the perspective of a fisherman. “Fisherman don’t just up & quit” “The disciples knew these waters” “Who is this Jesus?” Her perspective was really unique.
So overall I thought it was well written and well told, I just wish it had been a little more clearly laid out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2016
Dramatic, Wild, and Wet
disciples were called away from the water for the three years of His public ministry, Leslie and her family have lived the fierce call to remain on the water.
Memoir runs seamlessly from past to present, from Alaska to Israel, and glorious truth landed like spray on the bow of my boat:
The following life can be a leaving behind of what is dear, but it may also be a staying put while others leave. Those of us whose nests are emptying out before our incredulous eyes know the bittersweet of the proud goodbye and the gritty faithfulness of “I will follow Christ right here where I’ve been put.”
New Testament images of fishermen blithely walking away from their nets, and Peter scrabbling over the side of a boat onto a stormy sea jump clean off the flannel board and into real life with the reality that no fisherman in his right mind would abandon his boat — or his nets — without very good reason. Since Leslie has had the experience of standing aghast in a boat full of salmon (calculating extra mortgage payments and tuition money as she surveyed the bumper crop) she takes an educated guess at Jesus’ motives for calling Peter, James, and John away from their nets to fish for souls after His miraculous provision of the catch of their lives:
“Enjoy it. Count the fish. Now, come. I have something greater for you.”
The abundance of the following life comes in unexpected ways — and maybe when we least expect it.
The Fields fish and the Morins mow, so it was helpful to read about another family that is working its way through the tensions of life in a family business and that knows the ache of a work-related argument or the constant need for productivity that presses hard against the desire to be a sympathetic mum. Leslie’s metaphor of mending nets by pulling shredded fibers back together into something durable and reliable is an apt (and poignant) picture of the work of forgiveness that preserves family unity.
Visiting Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, Leslie longed to see a real storm as a reminder of the “peace be still” that banished the gale, but that also brought tangible fear right into the boat instead.
Go ahead.
Join the wide-eyed disciples in asking the question: What kind of Savior is this? Then read the conclusion that comes from the experience of crossing the waters with Jesus: that He is a Savior who allows the storm to come with all its howling winds, but then who sits beside us in our boat, calling us to do our part to fill the hungry in this world full of danger and fear.
//
disciples were called away from the water for the three years of His public ministry, Leslie and her family have lived the fierce call to remain on the water.
Memoir runs seamlessly from past to present, from Alaska to Israel, and glorious truth landed like spray on the bow of my boat:
The following life can be a leaving behind of what is dear, but it may also be a staying put while others leave. Those of us whose nests are emptying out before our incredulous eyes know the bittersweet of the proud goodbye and the gritty faithfulness of “I will follow Christ right here where I’ve been put.”
New Testament images of fishermen blithely walking away from their nets, and Peter scrabbling over the side of a boat onto a stormy sea jump clean off the flannel board and into real life with the reality that no fisherman in his right mind would abandon his boat — or his nets — without very good reason. Since Leslie has had the experience of standing aghast in a boat full of salmon (calculating extra mortgage payments and tuition money as she surveyed the bumper crop) she takes an educated guess at Jesus’ motives for calling Peter, James, and John away from their nets to fish for souls after His miraculous provision of the catch of their lives:
“Enjoy it. Count the fish. Now, come. I have something greater for you.”
The abundance of the following life comes in unexpected ways — and maybe when we least expect it.
The Fields fish and the Morins mow, so it was helpful to read about another family that is working its way through the tensions of life in a family business and that knows the ache of a work-related argument or the constant need for productivity that presses hard against the desire to be a sympathetic mum. Leslie’s metaphor of mending nets by pulling shredded fibers back together into something durable and reliable is an apt (and poignant) picture of the work of forgiveness that preserves family unity.
Visiting Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, Leslie longed to see a real storm as a reminder of the “peace be still” that banished the gale, but that also brought tangible fear right into the boat instead.
Go ahead.
Join the wide-eyed disciples in asking the question: What kind of Savior is this? Then read the conclusion that comes from the experience of crossing the waters with Jesus: that He is a Savior who allows the storm to come with all its howling winds, but then who sits beside us in our boat, calling us to do our part to fill the hungry in this world full of danger and fear.
//
September 26, 2019
This book is absolutely wonderful! I’ve read so many books about Jesus and I love seeing other people’s insights but I can honesty say that I’ve never read any other book quite like this. The perspective that Leslie has as a real-life fisherman brings insights into the Gospel stories that would simply never be seen by anyone who hasn’t lived that life. Because of how much I read, it’s rare that I find ideas I haven’t come across anywhere else but this book was absolutely full of insights that are brand new to my understanding of the stories I love about Jesus. Leslies writing is beautiful and deep and I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for some fresh perspective and insight for their daily walk with the Savior.
Favorite Quote: “Who does not want the bread Christ feeds us sometimes more than Christ himself? Which bread feels more real? I look around my table. Look how filled we are! I am so in love with all that Jesus has given me, too often I want only that. But take it all away - no children, no husband, no beauty, no sea, no tables full of halibut and bread - and will I love him still, this Christ? Can I trust him to be enough? When God’s own prophets are killed, when Jesus sleeps through the storms, when people we love drown in ocean or flames, can be truly be all we need?”
Favorite Quote: “Who does not want the bread Christ feeds us sometimes more than Christ himself? Which bread feels more real? I look around my table. Look how filled we are! I am so in love with all that Jesus has given me, too often I want only that. But take it all away - no children, no husband, no beauty, no sea, no tables full of halibut and bread - and will I love him still, this Christ? Can I trust him to be enough? When God’s own prophets are killed, when Jesus sleeps through the storms, when people we love drown in ocean or flames, can be truly be all we need?”
May 14, 2020
Fields takes readers on an adventure from her treacherous Alaskan waters to the Sea of Galilee. She brings much of the Gospels to light as readers experience the New Testament through the eyes of a fisherwoman and begin to understand Jesus’ disciples from a new perspective. Fields beautifully and humbly allows readers to see her personal struggles with faith and family through vivid description, rich storytelling, and insightful explanation. Writer, traveler, fisherwoman, and mother of six, Fields offers insight for readers of many ages and backgrounds.
Fields storytelling is woven with passages from the New Testament as well as insight from her personal, faith journey. She deals with difficult subjects including loss, death, and familial struggles without simply giving pat answers. Fields challenges readers to re-examine the Biblical idea to “Come, follow me,” through humble storytelling. She shares her testimony of coming to the Lord in her teens and following Him to a new life as a fisherwoman in Alaska.
Fields storytelling is woven with passages from the New Testament as well as insight from her personal, faith journey. She deals with difficult subjects including loss, death, and familial struggles without simply giving pat answers. Fields challenges readers to re-examine the Biblical idea to “Come, follow me,” through humble storytelling. She shares her testimony of coming to the Lord in her teens and following Him to a new life as a fisherwoman in Alaska.
April 23, 2018
I read this book as a devotional, nightly, one chapter at a time. It is a meditation, through experience and research, on the stories and biblical metaphors of fishing. Fields is a salmon fisherman in Alaska and has lived and raised her family in the harsh elements and exacting physical and mental labors of career fishing. She is also a memoirist, a blogger, and a writing instructor. This book reminded me of Phillip Keller's book "A Shepherd looks at the 23rd Psalm" about his life as a shepherd. It is a brilliant feat of exegesis to crack open the deeper nuances of the bible through the eyes of a shepherd or fisherman. Fields uses her own life experiences both in Alaska and on a trip to the sea of Galilee to help the reader better comprehend the biblical texts and it works very, very well. The last chapter was the best. Not wanting the book to end, I continued on, reading the study guide. This would be an excellent book for a bible study or small group.
January 16, 2017
Crossing the Waters isn't your everyday "Christian Life Spiritual Growth book." It doesn't attempt to solve life issues with formulas. Fields dives into deep issues and surfaces with questions and feelings that perplex us all. Any reader will identify with Fields' heart and her question: What does it mean to follow Jesus in the midst of our carnality, sin issue's, and everyday lives? But as she writes about her faith hurdles and the disciples' struggles, she always takes the reader back to Jesus. Fields doesn't minimize the heartache and pain in today's world, but she shows us how God saves and Carries us through the storm and suffering. She speaks to our fears and doubts, reminding us that Jesus is always enough and always their in our times of trouble. This was provided by publisher for honest review.
December 1, 2016
Crossing the Waters, by Leslie Leyland Fields, is a book that speaks to me. Reading the Bible has always been an active pursuit for me. While I read, I envision what it is the author of the book is saying and feeling. This book explores Jesus and his disciples and all the miracles they saw and the parables and messages they shared.
The author, a fisherwoman herself, is able to take her experiences and place them, and us in the Sea of Galilee. She shows us how to find faith through hard times and how to keep our faith during even harder times.
I recommend this book to all, whether new to the faith or someone who has walked with God for many years.
I was given this book by Tyndale Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
The author, a fisherwoman herself, is able to take her experiences and place them, and us in the Sea of Galilee. She shows us how to find faith through hard times and how to keep our faith during even harder times.
I recommend this book to all, whether new to the faith or someone who has walked with God for many years.
I was given this book by Tyndale Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
May 27, 2017
This book is wonderfully written. I love the parallels and insights into fishing in the holy land of Israel and the great land of Alaska. As the book closes, I cry tears of sadness and shame like Peter who didn't really understand and who was sad at how life had turned out and yet hopeful and so grateful that God is still with me. I feel disqualified from making a difference in others lives because my marriage ended. Yet, I see how Jesus lovingly shows Peter there is still work to do and he still loves Peter and still calls him to follow him even after everything that happened. Perhaps the same is true for me. This I know, I love God and he loves me.
February 18, 2018
A fresh glimpse of the life of a fishermen who left everything to follow Jesus!
In Crossing the Waters, Leslie Leyland Fields takes us through the treacherous waters of her own faith journey and gives us a glimpse of the life of a modern-day fisherman. You will cross some dangerous Alaskan seas with her as she sails through her own family’s journey as fishermen. She paints a beautiful picture of her Alaskan adventures as she describes the joys and the terrors of her life as she crosses the waters of her faith.
If you’ve ever wanted to know what it means to follow Christ, I hope you will read Crossing the Waters by Leslie Leyland Fields.
In Crossing the Waters, Leslie Leyland Fields takes us through the treacherous waters of her own faith journey and gives us a glimpse of the life of a modern-day fisherman. You will cross some dangerous Alaskan seas with her as she sails through her own family’s journey as fishermen. She paints a beautiful picture of her Alaskan adventures as she describes the joys and the terrors of her life as she crosses the waters of her faith.
If you’ve ever wanted to know what it means to follow Christ, I hope you will read Crossing the Waters by Leslie Leyland Fields.
May 22, 2022
The end of the presentation informs the listener that this version includes the downloadable study guide. I did not try it as I have another source (RightNow Media RNM) that I used, however, it was nice to know that it was there.
The Audible edition was chosen because I have so enjoyed listening to the author's voice on RNM. She has an easy, comfortable cadence and tells an amazingly great set of stories. It did take me a minute to grasp the leaps between Alaska and the Holy Lands. It was worth the minute.
This woman has a husband, six kids, and a family fishing business on a remote island in Alaska.
She chose to hike the Holy Lands, by herself, at age 56.
She is amazing.
The Audible edition was chosen because I have so enjoyed listening to the author's voice on RNM. She has an easy, comfortable cadence and tells an amazingly great set of stories. It did take me a minute to grasp the leaps between Alaska and the Holy Lands. It was worth the minute.
This woman has a husband, six kids, and a family fishing business on a remote island in Alaska.
She chose to hike the Holy Lands, by herself, at age 56.
She is amazing.
July 16, 2019
What a delight it was to meet Leslie Leyland Fields at the 2018 Festival of Faith and Writing, and what a joy it was to read Crossing the Waters. Fields artfully weaves thoughts about her faith with memoir to reveal insights that only come to those who have deeply wrestled. “I still stumble along a meandering path,” she concludes. “And I likely always will. I still mourn my children leaving. I battle pride and selfishness. I wrestle with unworthiness and shame. I ask a hundred questions…” Amen, Leslie, Amen.
June 13, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. I live on Canada's West coast in a fishing town. I could relate to so much of the conversation. Leslie's own family stories of their challenging life as salmon fishermen, was really interesting. Then she compared it to the Biblical stories of the disciples as fishermen, based on her many travels to the Holy Land. It was eye opening and relatable. One of the great messages of the book: God takes our small fish, our often small love for Him - and turns it into something great. We just need to trust and lean in to Him.
May 17, 2017
This is the second book I have read by this author, and in both books I was astounded by the amount of work her life involves. Cold, wet, dangerous, dirty, back-breaking work. Fields applies how a fisherman thinks and works to the fishermen Jesus called as his disciples as her stories go back and forth between Alaska and her trip to Israel. The correlations between her ocean and the Sea of Galilee and the lessons learned made the New Testament come to life in a new way.
March 20, 2018
I couldn’t put this book down. It was very well written and brought to life the stories that I have come to know over the years from the gospels. I was surprised how much I could relate to the author, an Alaskan fisherman. I connected deeply with her experiences and the emotions that went with them. I appreciated her honesty as she struggled with doubt and wonder.
I found her writing style to be captivating and I am very thankful for her writing this book. Read it!
I found her writing style to be captivating and I am very thankful for her writing this book. Read it!
January 7, 2018
This was a surprising read for me. I appreciated her honest life stories of joy and loss, and her wrestling with her faith in her portrayal of her life as a fisherwoman in Alaska along with her experiences visiting the Sea of Galilee. I did not read this using the included study guide but it looks helpful to use for a re-reading of this book.
March 31, 2018
From the waters of Alaska to Israel, Fields uses her lifetime of experience living the fisherman’s life to paint a picture of Jesus and the disciples that is so real, so compelling. She takes these stories of the sea and fish from the Gospels and helps you understand exactly what it was really like. And you see Jesus in a new way, a deeper way. You understand his love on such a deeper level.
May 9, 2018
This book brings the biblical stories that involve water, boats, and fishermen to life--the stories the authors shares from her own life make the biblical stories even more compelling, real, and visceral. I think about the disciples differently, I see them better, after reading this book. I loved it.
June 26, 2019
A beautifully written book. It took me a while to get into, but I ended up really enjoying this one.
She teaches truth through storytelling. Much wisdom is shared through retelling scripture and moments from her story without being preachy. I loved the depth and genuine sharing of the difficulties of transition, following Jesus and trusting Him in the midst of life.
She teaches truth through storytelling. Much wisdom is shared through retelling scripture and moments from her story without being preachy. I loved the depth and genuine sharing of the difficulties of transition, following Jesus and trusting Him in the midst of life.
June 1, 2020
I loved going in this fisherwoman journey with Fields. The set up/imagery of her life in Alaska drew me in from the beginning and she has a way of paralleling perfectly with the Gospels in a relatable way. I did get confused with the jumps from Israel to Alaska to gospels but overall this was a great selection for my small group curriculum!
May 28, 2018
As a new Christian, this book helped to guide me through the Gospels in a practical way. Beautifully written and honest! I started this during our women’s Bible study and we had great discussion throughout its entirety!
September 27, 2018
4* Leslie Leyland Fields has the experience of being an Alaskan fisherman to help her tell the story of the fishermen in the Gospel. I was captivated by her fishing stories, how she and her husband work, live, and raise their family.
June 17, 2019
Added so much more to the video bible study I co-taught
Her personal reflections and life experiences in Alaska and troop to the Holy Land helped so much when paired with the Right Now Media bible study by the same name. Wrapping up study this Wednesday night!
Her personal reflections and life experiences in Alaska and troop to the Holy Land helped so much when paired with the Right Now Media bible study by the same name. Wrapping up study this Wednesday night!
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