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Straining Forward: Minh Phuong Towner's Story
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In the early morning hours of January 31, 1968, eleven-year-old Minh Phuong watched in horror as her father and two siblings were gunned down by the Vietcong in their backyard. Though she escaped the bullets that night, abuse, prison, and torture would follow. The tragedy of her childhood would haunt Minh Phuong for the rest of her life and lead her to question God's very existence.
Straining Forward is the true story of Minh Phuong's dramatic escape from war-torn Vietnam and the effects of undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder on her adult life. Author Michelle Layer Rahal not only provides powerful insight into the minds of refugee children, she also calls each of us to accountability for their care and healing.
A riveting, spiritual journey of hope and healing, Straining Forward reminds readers that even in our loneliest and most desolate moments, we are never truly alone.
In the early morning hours of January 31, 1968, eleven-year-old Minh Phuong watched in horror as her father and two siblings were gunned down by the Vietcong in their backyard. Though she escaped the bullets that night, abuse, prison, and torture would follow. The tragedy of her childhood would haunt Minh Phuong for the rest of her life and lead her to question God's very existence.
Straining Forward is the true story of Minh Phuong's dramatic escape from war-torn Vietnam and the effects of undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder on her adult life. Author Michelle Layer Rahal not only provides powerful insight into the minds of refugee children, she also calls each of us to accountability for their care and healing.
A riveting, spiritual journey of hope and healing, Straining Forward reminds readers that even in our loneliest and most desolate moments, we are never truly alone.
374 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2018
19 people are currently reading
3161 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Layer Rahal
2 books39 followersMICHELLE LAYER RAHAL is the award-winning author of "Straining Forward". She is a former radio news reporter, elementary school teacher, educational consultant, and published educator with an undergraduate degree from Hofstra University and Master of Education degree from the University of New York at Buffalo. She lives in Northern Virginia where she teaches Bible study classes, cooks gourmet meals for fun, and can often be found curled up with a good book. She is married to Greg, who makes her laugh every day.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 30, 2020
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
A Vietnamese woman tells about her childhood, and how she survived the war, moved to Australia, then America, and found Christ.
Informative, and harrowing in places. Not afraid to show warts and all.
A Vietnamese woman tells about her childhood, and how she survived the war, moved to Australia, then America, and found Christ.
Informative, and harrowing in places. Not afraid to show warts and all.
November 3, 2018
This book is absolutely impossible to put down. Since I was stationed in Vietnam, I had heard about the Tet offensive in 1968, even though I was there in 71-72. It was very hard reading the account of someone who was living through the event as it was actually occurring. I actually speak a little Vietnamese and when I saw a sign at the Barnes and Noble store in Fair Lakes that said Minh and Michelle would be there in 27 Oct. I had to go. They were both very nice and Minh even indulged me in my attempt to speak Vietnamese. It is an incredible story of courage and determination. Michelle did an excellent job of telling Minh's story. Read the book. You will love it. As a side item, I purchased the book on Saturday and started it. Sunday morning my wife and I went to Bob Evans in Oakton, Va. and we ran into a couple that we know there. The guy Dave walks by my table and says " you're reading her book". Come to find out that they evidently go to the same church and her husband was at their wedding. Small world.
November 13, 2020
A beautiful and heart wrenching story of a young family caught in the throes of a terrible war. Having grown up in the Vietnam War era I remember the pictures and stories from the soldiers coming home from their tours of duty. I have never, however, heard the stories of the children who did not get air lifted to safety. Although the author tells some awful truths she does so tempered with compassion and caring about her subjects. I love that we can see the role of churches and how their sympathy and care has made a difference in many refugees lives. So many well deserved awards - I give 20 out of five stars. A good read.
July 23, 2018
Straining Forward... touches and grips the reader’s intellect, gut, and soul. From the story’s beginning in 1964 Vietnam through intermittent years and into the 21st century, the reader enters the heart of a survivor. Once started, I could not put the book down. Michelle Rahal’s writing style compels the reader to continue into each new chapter, hoping that the next episode will propel the true-life heroine, Minh, into a better existence. Minh traverses unfathomable pits in her life, but she does it with an attitude steeped in the words of God.
May 21, 2018
This memoir is an incredible story of a life torn apart by the Viet Nam war. Minh Phuong Towner suffered unbelievable losses that challenged her survival for years to come. This is a tale of both devastation and great hope, a must read that you will continue to think about long after you finish the last page.
October 9, 2018
Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman
Author Michelle Layer Rahal has brought us a stunningly honest and frank portrayal of the life of a Vietnamese boat person, in the 1970’s. In Straining Forward we read the biography of Minh Phuong Towner, as she is caught up in the tumultuous events of the Vietnam War, or the American War, as the Vietnamese called it. Told through the eyes of Minh herself as if an autobiography, it covers the full gamut of Minh’s life. Born into a relatively middle-class environment in Saigon, Minh had all the advantages of wealth and position and in many ways was immune to what was happening outside of Saigon, in the rest of Vietnam. This all changed though on New Year’s Eve 1968, when the Tet Offensive brought the war directly into her quiet, suburban neighbourhood. Having watched the deaths of her beloved Father and several of her siblings, at the hands of the North Vietnamese, Minh and her brother make a dash for freedom, that leads them on an horrific journey, including torture, detainment in prison, escape, a dangerous sea journey and finally from a refugee camp in Taiwan, to France, Australia and ultimately the United States. Minh, though, is deeply traumatised by her childhood and this trauma will be something she will carry for the rest of her life and will influence her decisions and behaviour forever.
Although Straining Forward is presented, by Michelle Layer Rahal, as a spiritual journey, a search for meaning in life and a relationship with God, it would be wrong to dismiss it as just another Christian testimony. There is much more to this book than just its spiritual nature. It is truly an eye-opener on the effect of war on children, on refugees and what childhood trauma can do to a person later in life. I particularly enjoyed the story of Minh’s life in Vietnam, after the North’s invasion. The trials that tested her, she faced with stoicism and bravery, but what they did was remove her self-belief and her self-esteem. She truly believed that she was unworthy of being loved and gravitated towards safety and security, rather than happiness, as her first objective always. That this become apparent much later in life, when she understood that in many ways she had turned into her cold, calculating mother, without her even realising it. This is an extremely powerful story and one that grasps both the frailties of the human person and celebrates the triumph of the human spirit over immense challenges. One cannot read Minh Phong Tower’s story and fail to be moved by the tragedy of her life, but also by her indomitability and her determination to succeed, even in the face of overwhelming odds. This is a story that lingers long in the mind after reading and it is something I can truly recommend anyone feeling down or depressed should read. “There, but for the grace of God, go I!”
Author Michelle Layer Rahal has brought us a stunningly honest and frank portrayal of the life of a Vietnamese boat person, in the 1970’s. In Straining Forward we read the biography of Minh Phuong Towner, as she is caught up in the tumultuous events of the Vietnam War, or the American War, as the Vietnamese called it. Told through the eyes of Minh herself as if an autobiography, it covers the full gamut of Minh’s life. Born into a relatively middle-class environment in Saigon, Minh had all the advantages of wealth and position and in many ways was immune to what was happening outside of Saigon, in the rest of Vietnam. This all changed though on New Year’s Eve 1968, when the Tet Offensive brought the war directly into her quiet, suburban neighbourhood. Having watched the deaths of her beloved Father and several of her siblings, at the hands of the North Vietnamese, Minh and her brother make a dash for freedom, that leads them on an horrific journey, including torture, detainment in prison, escape, a dangerous sea journey and finally from a refugee camp in Taiwan, to France, Australia and ultimately the United States. Minh, though, is deeply traumatised by her childhood and this trauma will be something she will carry for the rest of her life and will influence her decisions and behaviour forever.
Although Straining Forward is presented, by Michelle Layer Rahal, as a spiritual journey, a search for meaning in life and a relationship with God, it would be wrong to dismiss it as just another Christian testimony. There is much more to this book than just its spiritual nature. It is truly an eye-opener on the effect of war on children, on refugees and what childhood trauma can do to a person later in life. I particularly enjoyed the story of Minh’s life in Vietnam, after the North’s invasion. The trials that tested her, she faced with stoicism and bravery, but what they did was remove her self-belief and her self-esteem. She truly believed that she was unworthy of being loved and gravitated towards safety and security, rather than happiness, as her first objective always. That this become apparent much later in life, when she understood that in many ways she had turned into her cold, calculating mother, without her even realising it. This is an extremely powerful story and one that grasps both the frailties of the human person and celebrates the triumph of the human spirit over immense challenges. One cannot read Minh Phong Tower’s story and fail to be moved by the tragedy of her life, but also by her indomitability and her determination to succeed, even in the face of overwhelming odds. This is a story that lingers long in the mind after reading and it is something I can truly recommend anyone feeling down or depressed should read. “There, but for the grace of God, go I!”
April 27, 2022
Abandoned at about page 70. Not at all what I thought. Not really a story about her time in Vietnam, more a story about finding Christ.
July 5, 2018
I bought Straining Forward to read on my beach vacation. But I decided to read just the introduction that day and the book was finished long before my trip began. This story of the circumstances, decisions and determination of a young Vietnamese girl is compelling. Reading of the path her life takes from that point through adulthood brought me tears, but also great confidence that nothing in our lives is wasted. My husband and I seldom enjoy the same books—he’s a history and action guy, while I prefer books about relationships and redemption. Neither of us was disappointed; he loved Straining Forward as much as I did. And I’ll second his recommendation that book club questions be made available.
July 1, 2018
Straining Forward is a fascinating and well written story of a young woman's struggle through life starting in Vietnam and continuing to present day Virginia. It's hard to imagine surviving like she did and still trusting in the Lord. Jesus had a plan for her life and He would not give up on her. Minh reminds us that whatever life throws at us, Jesus has that plan for each of our lives and He will not give up on us.
Get the book. Read the book. It's a great testimony to God's Love for humanity!
Get the book. Read the book. It's a great testimony to God's Love for humanity!
July 5, 2018
Michelle Layer Rahal, Straining Forward: Minh Phuong Towner’s Story (Maitland, FL: Xulon Press, 2018), 355 pages, 10 pages of photos.
I was introduced to Minh in 2011. I was preparing a sabbatical after leading First Presbyterian Church of Hastings (Michigan) through a building and relocation program. As I was going to be traveling overland from Asia to Europe, we attempted to find preachers from parts of the world in which I would be travelling. Through a connection I had at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, I was introduced by phone to Minh. Although I have never met her in person, we talked several times by phone and became friends on Facebook. Of the international preachers the congregation heard that summer, Minh made an impression. Hers is a haunting story. She connected with several Vietnam veterans and touched everyone with what she had endured as a boat refugee who fled the country as a teenager after the fall of South Vietnam in 1975. This is her story, told through her friend and author, Michelle Layer Rahal.
This is a brutal and honest book which has come out at a time when refugees are again in the news. It is scary to be torn from family and to be alone and is especially dangerous for a young woman. Being a refugee is to be vulnerable. Minh’s story illustrates the dangers.
Minh’s world started coming apart long before she became a refugee. As a young child of a family that were well-off enough to employ servants, Minh was first sexually abused by the family gardener as a child. She attempted suicide. It would not be her first attempt and the thought of suicide would continue to run through her mind. Then, when she was ten, her father and two younger brothers were killed by Vietcong during the Tet Offensive. Minh’s family was thrown into chaos. She was sent to live with her grandfather, who was verbally abusive. Her mother and aunt kept trying to set her up with American soldiers. She was sexually abused again by other family members.
As the war was ending, her family tried to escape but was unable to get out of the country. The family split up with the idea that it would be safer. It was dangerous to attempt to escape Vietnam during this time and she and her brother were captured, imprisoned, and tortured by the North Vietnamese conquerors. She was selected to be the “mistress” of the prison’s captain who later helped her and her brother Thanh escape.
On their third try, she and her brother were able to make it out and were picked up by a Taiwanese fishing boat. They were taken to Taiwan. Although they had a chance to move to America, Minh had studied French at a Catholic School in Vietnam so decided they should take up an offer to move to France. She had an uncle who lived in France, but the living conditions were horrible. She eventually was able to relocate to Australia, where she became a nurse, married an American living there, and gave birth to two children. But it wasn’t an easy journey. She was raped both in Paris and in Australia. She struggled with English and then had to pass her exams. She was an exceptional worker, which allowed her to care for her family. But she suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disease (PTSD), which created many problems for her life.
Two threads that run through the book are her relationship with God and her struggle with depress, thoughts of suicide and abuse by others which exacerbated her PTSD. As a young child, she had grown up Catholic in Vietnam. It provided a spiritual foundation so that she would pray when things were bad. But from her experience, she saw God as angry and vengeful and wondered what she’d done to deserve such treatment. It took a lot of work for her to learn to handle her emotions and the way her past colored her world.
Minh and her first husband divorced. When he moved back to the United States, taking their youngest daughter, Minh decided to relocate, too. Living in Virginia, she remarried, became involved in Vienna Presbyterian Church in Virginia, and went to seminary. She was ordained in the Presbyterian Church this past year.
I would recommend this book. The ordeal Minh endured should remind us of how hard it can be for refugees and those without the protection of a country or a strong parent. Minh’s understanding of the role her past trauma played in her life and her coming to understand God as a gracious and loving Father should provide hope to those troubled in the world.
I was introduced to Minh in 2011. I was preparing a sabbatical after leading First Presbyterian Church of Hastings (Michigan) through a building and relocation program. As I was going to be traveling overland from Asia to Europe, we attempted to find preachers from parts of the world in which I would be travelling. Through a connection I had at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, I was introduced by phone to Minh. Although I have never met her in person, we talked several times by phone and became friends on Facebook. Of the international preachers the congregation heard that summer, Minh made an impression. Hers is a haunting story. She connected with several Vietnam veterans and touched everyone with what she had endured as a boat refugee who fled the country as a teenager after the fall of South Vietnam in 1975. This is her story, told through her friend and author, Michelle Layer Rahal.
This is a brutal and honest book which has come out at a time when refugees are again in the news. It is scary to be torn from family and to be alone and is especially dangerous for a young woman. Being a refugee is to be vulnerable. Minh’s story illustrates the dangers.
Minh’s world started coming apart long before she became a refugee. As a young child of a family that were well-off enough to employ servants, Minh was first sexually abused by the family gardener as a child. She attempted suicide. It would not be her first attempt and the thought of suicide would continue to run through her mind. Then, when she was ten, her father and two younger brothers were killed by Vietcong during the Tet Offensive. Minh’s family was thrown into chaos. She was sent to live with her grandfather, who was verbally abusive. Her mother and aunt kept trying to set her up with American soldiers. She was sexually abused again by other family members.
As the war was ending, her family tried to escape but was unable to get out of the country. The family split up with the idea that it would be safer. It was dangerous to attempt to escape Vietnam during this time and she and her brother were captured, imprisoned, and tortured by the North Vietnamese conquerors. She was selected to be the “mistress” of the prison’s captain who later helped her and her brother Thanh escape.
On their third try, she and her brother were able to make it out and were picked up by a Taiwanese fishing boat. They were taken to Taiwan. Although they had a chance to move to America, Minh had studied French at a Catholic School in Vietnam so decided they should take up an offer to move to France. She had an uncle who lived in France, but the living conditions were horrible. She eventually was able to relocate to Australia, where she became a nurse, married an American living there, and gave birth to two children. But it wasn’t an easy journey. She was raped both in Paris and in Australia. She struggled with English and then had to pass her exams. She was an exceptional worker, which allowed her to care for her family. But she suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disease (PTSD), which created many problems for her life.
Two threads that run through the book are her relationship with God and her struggle with depress, thoughts of suicide and abuse by others which exacerbated her PTSD. As a young child, she had grown up Catholic in Vietnam. It provided a spiritual foundation so that she would pray when things were bad. But from her experience, she saw God as angry and vengeful and wondered what she’d done to deserve such treatment. It took a lot of work for her to learn to handle her emotions and the way her past colored her world.
Minh and her first husband divorced. When he moved back to the United States, taking their youngest daughter, Minh decided to relocate, too. Living in Virginia, she remarried, became involved in Vienna Presbyterian Church in Virginia, and went to seminary. She was ordained in the Presbyterian Church this past year.
I would recommend this book. The ordeal Minh endured should remind us of how hard it can be for refugees and those without the protection of a country or a strong parent. Minh’s understanding of the role her past trauma played in her life and her coming to understand God as a gracious and loving Father should provide hope to those troubled in the world.
May 9, 2019
This would be a great read for folks who profess to be terrified of allowing refugees into our country. They've become a dehumanized boogey man in our political conversation. But most refugees have experiences like Minh Phuong's. Most are just victims of political violence out of their control and are traumatized and desperate for a safe place to exist. This was an impressive story of survival. I appreciated her self-awareness and honesty.
October 9, 2021
An excellent wake-up call to be great full for all I have. Great book!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2018
Fantastic story of a woman who just wouldn't give up! The writing is straightforward and captures you from page 1. It's been a while since I stayed up late, unable to put the book down, but this was one of those times. An inspiration for all who experience trauma and are forced to face unspeakable evil. An inspiration for everyone who wants to be inspired by an incredible true story!
June 12, 2018
An amazing life lived by an amazing woman. Beautifully written. The author captures the pain and struggles of Minh’s life as though it were her own. The joy of redemption at the end is all the more poignant when you look back over everything she went through. I highly recommend it for everyone.
June 11, 2018
What a gripping read! It was a real page turned that I quickly devoured.
June 2, 2018
I made time in my life to read this book through in two days because I was gripped by the story telling. Michelle listened well to Minh's story and painted word descriptions of the many powerful scenes that will stay with me forever. Michelle, thank you for listening with your heart and head as Minh shared her stories. Minh, thank you, for opening the doors so wide in your museum of memories. I was blessed.
June 1, 2018
Minh's story, wonderfully done in close and loving collaboration with Michelle Rahal, is NOT for the faint of heart. Minh's honesty and bravery in sharing not only her life's trials, but her continually re-forming faith, is powerful testimony to a single descriptor... perseverance. If you Google "Christian perseverance" you will find a wonderful devotional by Oswald Chambers, speaking to faith. He comments "Faith is not some weak and pitiful emotion, but is strong and vigorous confidence built on the fact that God IS holy love". Chambers enjoins... "Maintain your intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through the perseverance of faith. Proclaim as Job did, 'though He slay me, yet will I trust Him' (Job 13:15). As I read "Straining Forward", from the perspective of a now seventy-something white male whose young adulthood emcompassed the "Vietnam Era" (aka "The American War" as Minh tells us it was known by Vietnamese who lived through it) My consciousness, and sense of cultural narrow-mindedness, was pricked by Minh and Michelle's word portrait. Turning again to Oswald Chambers' devotion, John the Apostle's Revelation (3:10 - MSG) spoke to me like never before..... "..because you kept my Word in passionate patience, I'll keep you safe in the time of testing..." You see, the high bar of "Christian spiritual perseverance" is recast in terms personified by Minh's life. Her passion, and yes her patience, challenge me and I hope this book will likewise touch you, esteemed reader.
December 29, 2019
The story of Minh Phong Towner moved me as few others have. The author, Michelle Layer Rahal, tells the gripping story in such a way that it is Minh's voice we hear rather than the author's. Masterfully done. We follow Minh's heart-wrenching journey from war-torn Vietnam to Taiwan to France to Australia, and finally to the United States. Every leg of the journey presented what seemed like insurmountable challenges that included torture, loneliness, indescribable deprivation, and worse. I was struck by the raw emotions shared unflinchingly. As Minh fought and overcame the external conflicts, she struggled to overcome the internal ones that haunted her for decades. In the end it is a story of faith and the power of the human spirit to overcome even the most impossible odds. I am in awe of Minh Phong Towner and Ms. Rahal's ability to put this story on the page so beautifully. This story will stay with me a long time. I'm praying it gets into many hands as it's an important story of the awful toll that war takes on children.
October 27, 2019
This is an amazing portrayal of a young child's journey towards adulthood starting in Korea, alighting in Paris, and Australia and ultimately ending up in the U.S. Minh's journey, from surviving the Tet offensive that killed her father, to three desperate tries to make it out of Korea on a small boat once the Communists took over, is nothing short of incredible. The decisions that had to be made by a young girl and her brother in order to survive a sadistic regime were harrowing yet Minh was single-minded in finding a way out. From rape to extreme poverty to a mother who couldn't be bothered to show Minh any kindness, this story fluctuates between anguish at what she's suffering to hope that her tenacity and her belief in God will eventually make her whole again. This story was gripping and beautiful and ultimately hopeful and satisfying, knowing that Minh made her way to a good life in the U.S.
June 23, 2019
Wow! I was blown away by this book and Minh's story. I met Minh several years ago shortly after she came to our church community in Virginia, and I have been blessed by knowing her for all these many years. While I thought I knew her story and the amazing journey she has been on and the trials she has overcome, upon reading this book, I realized that I only knew a very small piece of the story of her life and the challenges she has faced through the years. However, I do know the joy and peace that she exudes and can attest to the faith and love she freely shares as she encourages those around her. Rahal does a phenomenal job of telling Minh's story and weaving the many chapters of her life together. She did a superb job of filling in the pieces while capturing Minh's voice in the telling. A compelling read and one that I did not want to put down until I was done!
November 26, 2018
A powerful story of one young woman's fight for her life, her soul, her family, her heart, her essence. The unbelievable and unendurable horrors of the Vietnam War are revealed on an intimate and personal level by a courageous woman who confronts her story, shares her pain with the reader and yet provides hope to those who also suffer. Compassionately written and a must read for anyone who seeks to understand refugee experiences and the ongoing cycle of sorrow and loss associated with surviving traumatic events. Particularly relevant reading in the context of today's world and the Vietnamese American legacy. Highly recommended reading for students, historians, political leaders, teachers, pastors, counselors.
November 6, 2019
Where There Is a Will There Is a Way
There can be a will but not necessarily God's will! Minh faced this issue from time to time throughout her life story__ in Viet Nam, her escape, her near death situations, her abuse by men, her environment. But, God took what man intended for bad and turned it into good to help her become all God wanted her to be! An amazing life! An amazing book!
There can be a will but not necessarily God's will! Minh faced this issue from time to time throughout her life story__ in Viet Nam, her escape, her near death situations, her abuse by men, her environment. But, God took what man intended for bad and turned it into good to help her become all God wanted her to be! An amazing life! An amazing book!
May 28, 2020
This is a difficult read. Minh suffered quite a few traumas, any single one of which would cause great fear and dread, wounding someone for life. She easily describes herself as damaged and shares the truth given her by numerous medical experts that she will never heal. The path her life takes makes so plain the ways we are able to hide ourselves away, suffering inside with no one having any idea.
But God!
Our loving Lord! He can change it all in a moment.
But God!
Our loving Lord! He can change it all in a moment.
December 29, 2019
Straining Forward is a window into the soul of a survivor. Minh faced so many hardships and has struggled to find home, but her faith continually surfaces as her anchor, to restore her spirit and giver her strength. This story is heart wrenching, but hopeful. You will be changed by her story and inspired to follow Minh in straining forward.
September 27, 2019
Beautiful
I had a hard time putting this book down, waiting to see how Minh's story would unfold. My family has a personal weaving with Vietnam also, so God deeply touched my heart to see His plan unfold in Minh's life. I recommend this book to anyone who needs hope to see God working in their own story.
I had a hard time putting this book down, waiting to see how Minh's story would unfold. My family has a personal weaving with Vietnam also, so God deeply touched my heart to see His plan unfold in Minh's life. I recommend this book to anyone who needs hope to see God working in their own story.
October 17, 2019
Compelling! Draws you in from the first chapter.
November 13, 2020
Very courageous story about a strong woman who's will and determination got her from Vietnam all the way to the United States.
January 11, 2021
I absolutely recommend this book. The things she has gone through and still survived are amazing. I know I mentally would have not made it. God gave her strength.
May 23, 2021
a powerful, sometimes overwhelming, account
March 31, 2025
A memoir about an incredibly strong woman, who has been through incredible pain, and persevered all the way to the end of the book. Usually memoirs have some kind of theme, but this one began in horror, seemed to look up, and ended once again in a different kind of horror. But written in a way that seemed to say she escaped and is on a positive exponential curve.
It doesn’t pull punches, it doesn’t take things out to make the story more savoury, and I appreciate that. But I do wish it concluded with its strings tied. Not that human lives are neat - just that it had a Christian agenda and I wish they completed it. Mostly, it doesn’t make God look very good. That’s alright if it was intentional, but it wasn’t. I feel that if the author(s) took some more thought before diving in to the writing process, they might’ve discovered and been able to convey his actual role in her life? It mostly felt like an intense coping mechanism that she joined the church in the first place. That wasn’t quite acknowledged, and no changes from this motivation were noted.
Nevertheless, it was a brave undertaking, an honest, detailed story, and reading this permanently changed my perspective on life.
It doesn’t pull punches, it doesn’t take things out to make the story more savoury, and I appreciate that. But I do wish it concluded with its strings tied. Not that human lives are neat - just that it had a Christian agenda and I wish they completed it. Mostly, it doesn’t make God look very good. That’s alright if it was intentional, but it wasn’t. I feel that if the author(s) took some more thought before diving in to the writing process, they might’ve discovered and been able to convey his actual role in her life? It mostly felt like an intense coping mechanism that she joined the church in the first place. That wasn’t quite acknowledged, and no changes from this motivation were noted.
Nevertheless, it was a brave undertaking, an honest, detailed story, and reading this permanently changed my perspective on life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews