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Hope Heals: A True Story of Overwhelming Loss and an Overcoming Love
*Running Time => 6 hrs. and 50 mins.*
When all seems lost, where can hope be found?
Katherine and Jay married right after college and sought adventure far from home in Los Angeles, CA. As they pursued their dreams, they planted their lives in the city and in their church community. Their son, James, came along unexpectedly in the fall of 2007, and just 6 months later, everything changed in a moment for this young family.
On April 21, 2008, as James slept in the other room, Katherine collapsed, suffering a massive brain stem stroke without warning. Miraculously, Jay came home in time and called for help. Katherine was immediately rushed into micro-brain surgery, though her chance of survival was slim. As the sun rose the next morning, the surgeon proclaimed that Katherine had survived the removal of part of her brain, though her future recovery was completely uncertain. Yet in that moment, there was a spark of hope. Through 40 days on life support in the ICU and nearly 2 years in full-time brain rehab, that spark of hope was fanned into flame.
Defying every prognosis, with grit and grace, Katherine and Jay, side by side, struggled to regain a life for Katherine as she re-learned to talk and eat and walk. Returning home with a severely disabled body but a completely renewed purpose, they committed to celebrate this gift of a second chance by embracing life fully, even though that life looked very different than they could have ever imagined. In the midst of continuing hardships and struggles, both in body and mind, Katherine and Jay found what we all long to find...hope, hope that heals the most broken place, our souls.
An excruciating yet beautiful road to recovery has led the Wolf family to their new normal, in which almost every moment of life is marked with the scars of that fateful April day in 2008. Now, eight years later, Katherine and Jay are stewarding their story of suffering, restoration, and Christ-centered hope in this broken world through their ministry Hope Heals.
©2016 Katherine Wolf and Jay Wolf (P)2021 Zondervan
When all seems lost, where can hope be found?
Katherine and Jay married right after college and sought adventure far from home in Los Angeles, CA. As they pursued their dreams, they planted their lives in the city and in their church community. Their son, James, came along unexpectedly in the fall of 2007, and just 6 months later, everything changed in a moment for this young family.
On April 21, 2008, as James slept in the other room, Katherine collapsed, suffering a massive brain stem stroke without warning. Miraculously, Jay came home in time and called for help. Katherine was immediately rushed into micro-brain surgery, though her chance of survival was slim. As the sun rose the next morning, the surgeon proclaimed that Katherine had survived the removal of part of her brain, though her future recovery was completely uncertain. Yet in that moment, there was a spark of hope. Through 40 days on life support in the ICU and nearly 2 years in full-time brain rehab, that spark of hope was fanned into flame.
Defying every prognosis, with grit and grace, Katherine and Jay, side by side, struggled to regain a life for Katherine as she re-learned to talk and eat and walk. Returning home with a severely disabled body but a completely renewed purpose, they committed to celebrate this gift of a second chance by embracing life fully, even though that life looked very different than they could have ever imagined. In the midst of continuing hardships and struggles, both in body and mind, Katherine and Jay found what we all long to find...hope, hope that heals the most broken place, our souls.
An excruciating yet beautiful road to recovery has led the Wolf family to their new normal, in which almost every moment of life is marked with the scars of that fateful April day in 2008. Now, eight years later, Katherine and Jay are stewarding their story of suffering, restoration, and Christ-centered hope in this broken world through their ministry Hope Heals.
©2016 Katherine Wolf and Jay Wolf (P)2021 Zondervan
7 pages, Audible Audio
First published April 26, 2016
532 people are currently reading
5408 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Wolf
7 books185 followersKatherine & Jay Wolf are parents, artists, communicators, and survivors. After meeting in college, they got married and moved to Los Angeles to pursue law school for Jay and the entertainment industry for Katherine. Their son James was born in 2007 and six months later, Katherine’s life nearly ended with a catastrophic stroke. Miraculously, she survived and continues her recovery to this day. Katherine and Jay have shared their journey of whole-hearted living and hope in Christ in many forums since 2008. Katherine, Jay, and their family currently reside in Los Angeles, CA. www.hopeheals.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 557 reviews
May 11, 2016
As a single man, I didn't dive into this work of non-fiction expecting much more than a self-help guide to marriage, but that quickly changed. What begins as a fairy tale life for two twenty-somethings in Malibu, California, takes a devastating turn. The cause? A near-fatal brain aneurysm for young mother Katherine Wolf. Hope Heals is the story of a woman facing overwhelming obstacles early on in motherhood and marriage, of a man honoring his commitment to his wife and his God when many might renege, and a community becoming the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to minister to them both. In the end, there is irreparable loss but also unrelenting love. The couple find the true nature of their faith. As the hymn writer explained it, "an anchor that holds within the veil." Hope heals. The Wolf's story resonates with love, tragedy, humor, heartache. Life. This book captures that life in stark and lovely terms. It's a story we would all do well to know, whether we find ourselves adrift in life or firmly anchored.
December 19, 2016
I first heard of Katherine and Jay's story when they came to speak at my church. I was amazed by the way they partnered in telling of how Katherine's brain injury had shaped their adult lives and eagerly bought a copy of their book after the service in a desire to know more about their journey. Their story is powerful and unique, but the telling of it in this work often feels preachy and inauthentic. The level of detail provided in the description of Katherine's injury and ultimate recovery is well-documented, but the telling of their story often feels emotionally superficial. In the epilogue, Katherine writes, "Suffering powerfully informs who I am now. While awful and painful, affliction has led to a heartbreaking but beautiful deepening in me." I wish Wolf had delved deeper into her suffering and spent some time resting there with her readers. There are moments where Wolf acknowledges negative emotions such as anger, bitterness, and profound sadness, but immediately after, she switches to speaking of how she didn't let those feelings overcome her and to expressing gratitude for God. Writing a memoir, particularly about such a traumatic event, can be a vulnerable and painful process. I wonder how much the dearth of authentic expression of those darkest times is a defense mechanism; perhaps it's simply too painful to dive that deep, perhaps Wolf thought that an emphasis on the bleakest of moments would detract from her story of hope and gratitude. Yet, even with these shortcomings, I'm still glad that I read this book. Their story is truly exceptional.
April 27, 2016
Oh, please read this book. What a beautiful, heart-wrenching, perspective-giving book. So good.
February 5, 2025
This was a good read, sad at times. Of a 26 year old woman who had a stroke.
May 17, 2018
I have felt placed into a different kind of reality than most others, the reality that is marked by suffering and struggle. And I needed to read a book from someone, about someone who “got it.” Katherine and Jay Wolfe get it. They experienced the unexpected & painful parts of life in their mid -twenties, just a couple years after being married and 6 months after having their first baby. Katherine had a stroke that should have killed her. What is remarkable about this story is not just that she lived but that she learned how to thrive and live hope filled.
It buoyed my soul greatly to read how Jay and Katherine overcame many hurdles and are living a life they could never have expected and certainly didn’t ask for with hope and purpose. I want to live this way, too.
It buoyed my soul greatly to read how Jay and Katherine overcame many hurdles and are living a life they could never have expected and certainly didn’t ask for with hope and purpose. I want to live this way, too.
May 17, 2023
Speech friends this is a must read!!! It’s written by a woman who had a brainstem stroke at 26 and her husband who serves as her primary caregiver during her recovery! SO GOOD and gives such insight into patients and caregivers perspectives during stroke recovery. She also talks about being NPO for 11 months, failing swallowing tests, and eventually how much her recovery and quality of life improved when she was cleared to eat again.
February 1, 2017
Such an inspiring, challenging look at how God loves and comforts us in the midst of our suffering and how He is glorified in the way we walk through our pain. Thank you, Jay and Katherine, for sharing your story.
April 21, 2016
I greatly enjoyed reading Hope Heals by Jay and Katherine Wolf. In this book they tell the story of their marriage, Katherine's stroke as a young wife and mom, and the years of rehab that followed. It is a story of love, suffering, commitment, and hope.
Jay and Katherine were a young married couple living in California and pursuing their dreams. Jay was weeks away from graduating from law school, Katherine was a model with a promising career, and they had a 6 month old baby. But life as they knew it changed dramatically when Katherine suffered a massive brain stem stroke, which left her in a coma for 2 months. After waking up from the coma she had to spend nearly 2 years in intensive rehab to regain strength back and to re-learn how to talk, eat, and walk.
Jay and Katherine struggled through very hard years, but their commitment to one another and to the Lord remained strong. Katherine confesses that there were times when she felt like God had made a mistake and that she should have died. But in those dark moments, she knew and trusted that “He sees the entire picture, and HE DOES NOT MAKE MISTAKES. He knows this is part of the story He is writing for me, for my family, and for all of the creation He is making right. It is not a plan B, and I trust that.”
Katherine acknowledges that she can give God the glory, and it can still hurt. Her experienced caused her “to redefine healing and discover a hope that heals the most broken places: our souls.”
There aren’t many books about marriage and disability, so I was thrilled to learn about Hope Heals. I was encouraged and challenged by Jay and Katherine’s testimony in these pages. Hope Heals will be beneficial to anyone who is looking for hope, and it will be especially encouraging for those who are affected by disability in marriage.
Jay and Katherine were a young married couple living in California and pursuing their dreams. Jay was weeks away from graduating from law school, Katherine was a model with a promising career, and they had a 6 month old baby. But life as they knew it changed dramatically when Katherine suffered a massive brain stem stroke, which left her in a coma for 2 months. After waking up from the coma she had to spend nearly 2 years in intensive rehab to regain strength back and to re-learn how to talk, eat, and walk.
Jay and Katherine struggled through very hard years, but their commitment to one another and to the Lord remained strong. Katherine confesses that there were times when she felt like God had made a mistake and that she should have died. But in those dark moments, she knew and trusted that “He sees the entire picture, and HE DOES NOT MAKE MISTAKES. He knows this is part of the story He is writing for me, for my family, and for all of the creation He is making right. It is not a plan B, and I trust that.”
Katherine acknowledges that she can give God the glory, and it can still hurt. Her experienced caused her “to redefine healing and discover a hope that heals the most broken places: our souls.”
There aren’t many books about marriage and disability, so I was thrilled to learn about Hope Heals. I was encouraged and challenged by Jay and Katherine’s testimony in these pages. Hope Heals will be beneficial to anyone who is looking for hope, and it will be especially encouraging for those who are affected by disability in marriage.
May 22, 2016
This book will be in my top five this year. I could not put it down and I didn't want it to end. Katherine and Jay have such a unique voice and their honesty is so raw and tangible. This book was such a life changing blessing to me. Thank you!
March 5, 2025
“Maybe it takes life being undeniably terrible before we can truly recognize its undeniable splendor.”
Wow. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this. I knew the general story but not the details, and now I can safely say this is one of the most powerful books I’ve read this year!
This book is so much more than a story of tragedy, survival, and rebuilding—it’s also a love story. A love story between Katherine and her Savior, and between Katherine and Jay. Their unwavering devotion to one another moved me deeply. Jay writes of serving Katherine: “I found that acting in love inevitably provoked true feelings of love, and the reverse was no less true.” His steadfast commitment is a rare and beautiful testament to love in its truest form.
Told in alternating perspectives, Katherine and Jay seamlessly tag team their story, each picking up where the other leaves off. I was riveted to their words! With every painful setback or move forward, they leaned on the Lord, trusting Him for each moment and every provision. And despite all they endured, Katherine’s joy remains an undeniable force throughout the book.
Their journey offers a powerful perspective on life and the everyday things we so easily take for granted. It’s an invitation to see suffering, love, and faith in a new light. I highly recommend it!
June 4, 2024
This memoir is horrific and hopeful all at once. Jay and Katherine very openly share all the scary and depressing details of Katherine’s stroke (at the age of 26) and its aftermath. I’m thankful they were so open and honest, even though it was rough to read at times. All too often these stories end with a “Halleluja, God fixed it all”, and leave the sick reader disillusioned rather than encouraged. But that is not the case here! Getting to see someone walk with God despite their insanely hard circumstances, is way more helpful and inspiring.
Katherine says that it is important to share the hard stories, because it makes others that are in a rough spot feel like they’re not alone, which in turn gives them hope. I think that’s true. And I wish there was more room in churches and books to share these kinds of stories, where God did not heal someone miraculously, but the journey itself and having hope amidst the suffering is nothing short of an equally great miracle.
I’m thankful that the Wolf’s shared a lot about how their lives changed after the stroke too. The loss of friendships (because a lot of people lose interest in you when you can’t always join in), the mourning of not being the kind of parent you envisioned, losing connection within a church community, losing the ability to do the work and hobbies you once had. My situation is very different, but a lot of it was all too relatable. Being sick comes with so much more loss than most people realize.
Jay ends with “one day the arc of our stories will all make sense”. And I love that. Trusting God with your story when it seemingly takes a terrible nosedive is a big test of faith. But God can be trusted. I love that Katherine and Jay held fast to that truth and that it drives them to encourage others.
Katherine says that it is important to share the hard stories, because it makes others that are in a rough spot feel like they’re not alone, which in turn gives them hope. I think that’s true. And I wish there was more room in churches and books to share these kinds of stories, where God did not heal someone miraculously, but the journey itself and having hope amidst the suffering is nothing short of an equally great miracle.
I’m thankful that the Wolf’s shared a lot about how their lives changed after the stroke too. The loss of friendships (because a lot of people lose interest in you when you can’t always join in), the mourning of not being the kind of parent you envisioned, losing connection within a church community, losing the ability to do the work and hobbies you once had. My situation is very different, but a lot of it was all too relatable. Being sick comes with so much more loss than most people realize.
Jay ends with “one day the arc of our stories will all make sense”. And I love that. Trusting God with your story when it seemingly takes a terrible nosedive is a big test of faith. But God can be trusted. I love that Katherine and Jay held fast to that truth and that it drives them to encourage others.
January 3, 2022
Truly underwhelming book. While I'd heard of Katherine Wolf for years and was curious about this book, I was profoundly disappointed to discover how lacking in humility the authors appear to be. This is a story of a privileged white evangelical couple experiencing trauma and expecting to be treated as privileged throughout their journey. At one point, Jay maligns the nurse at UCLA who deigned to ask him to follow visitor protocols, claiming she "didn't care to know us or our story," as if their story was any more tragic than all the other guests of the UCLA ICU. Katherine routinely reverts to the stereotypical evangelical young woman who assumes everyone, even the critical care nurses, is trying to take advantage of her and not just take care of her, doing their jobs. Jay and Katherine's mutual worship of themselves and each other, pumping each other up as having dealt with the situation with nothing but grace and patience and hope, makes this very inauthentic and hard to relate to. To be sure, what they went through and continue to go through was extraordinarily difficult, and I wish them the best in the future. But this book only strengthened my frustration with the evangelical church in America. How does this book have 4.43 stars?
July 12, 2016
This is a amazing true story of a woman’s fight and struggle after suffering a massive brain stem stroke without warning. It is also the story of her husband how he stayed with her and never left her side.
Katherine and Jay were very young and in love. They just had their first child. He was only 6 months old when the stroke hit Katherine. She was on life support in ICU for 40 days and 2 years in full-time brain rehab. Eight years later they wrote this book and have a ministry called Hope Heals.
If you love stories that show courage and hope again all kinds of odds you will love this book. So many things Katherine has to endure and overcome. Also Jay is an remarkable husband. So many husbands/wives leave their spouses when a major illness/disease comes to them. He really stuck with her.
The ending is just miraculous. I highly recommend this true story. Very uplifting and positive.
I received my free copy from Net Galley for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255
May 3, 2018
I loved this book. Jay and Katherine are refreshingly honest in their description of all that they’ve gone through since having their worlds turned upside down with an unexpected brain injury ten years ago. I finished this book feeling super encouraged and comforted by the way that they refuse to gloss over the pain and suffering that they’ve been through, while also refusing to forget the God who brought them through it all. Praise God for the healing and restoration He has brought to every part of their lives!!
October 29, 2025
“One day, we will see. One day the arc of our stories will make perfect sense. One day, we will trace the lines of our scars and find them to have fallen in the most pleasant of places, to see in them our great inheritance. One day we won’t need to hope, nor will we need to be healed because we will be face-to-face with the source of both, the source of everything … Jesus. And in the glory of His face, the darkest suffering and loss we have endured will fade like shadows at daybreak.” (pp. 236-237)
I’m so thankful for Katherine and Jay and their willingness to share their story. I especially liked the style of alternating between their perspectives as the story unfolded. They look the darkness square in the face and respond with hope and humor.
I’m so thankful for Katherine and Jay and their willingness to share their story. I especially liked the style of alternating between their perspectives as the story unfolded. They look the darkness square in the face and respond with hope and humor.
September 10, 2017
2.5 stars
I heard Katherine speak at IF:Gathering 2016 and she was one of the few speakers I actually liked - she was so funny! I picked this up to hear more of her story, figuring she'd bring her humor into this, also. She didn't.
The book isn't poorly written, but it was a fairly dry memoir compared to others I've read. It focused on what happened, and while Jay and Katherine's emotions were mentioned here and there, the readers were never given a chance to really sit with them and soak in the suffering. They were so quick to point out that God is good and has a plan (true things, to be sure) that it made their suffering almost seem insincere.
While I didn't connect with this one on the whole, I do have a couple favorite quotes:
"[God] knows this is part of the story He is writing for me, for my family, and for all of the creation He is making right. It is not a plan B, and I trust that." (p. 18)
"All my life, before the stroke, I had been confident, admired, and strong. I know in my head that I still am these things in many ways, but when your life is taken down to zero, it's hard not to feel that your ability to contribute as a human being is also zero..." (p. 192)
I heard Katherine speak at IF:Gathering 2016 and she was one of the few speakers I actually liked - she was so funny! I picked this up to hear more of her story, figuring she'd bring her humor into this, also. She didn't.
The book isn't poorly written, but it was a fairly dry memoir compared to others I've read. It focused on what happened, and while Jay and Katherine's emotions were mentioned here and there, the readers were never given a chance to really sit with them and soak in the suffering. They were so quick to point out that God is good and has a plan (true things, to be sure) that it made their suffering almost seem insincere.
While I didn't connect with this one on the whole, I do have a couple favorite quotes:
"[God] knows this is part of the story He is writing for me, for my family, and for all of the creation He is making right. It is not a plan B, and I trust that." (p. 18)
"All my life, before the stroke, I had been confident, admired, and strong. I know in my head that I still am these things in many ways, but when your life is taken down to zero, it's hard not to feel that your ability to contribute as a human being is also zero..." (p. 192)
March 8, 2016
I received an advanced copy of this book & could not put it down. At times it's hard to read: raw, real, emotional. The suffering this young family experienced is hard to process and will leave a lump in your throat while you read. But like all testimonies rooted in our Savior--there is purpose in the pain. Katherine & Jay are clear: Christ alone is the One who heals and He is an anchor in the suffering.
Read this book because you have also experienced suffering. Read this book because you've not yet, but one day will. Read this book because you need a reminder that your God is good and faithful. Read this book because you don't know God and doubt His goodness. Read this book because life is hard, trials are guaranteed, but hope heals.
Read this book because you have also experienced suffering. Read this book because you've not yet, but one day will. Read this book because you need a reminder that your God is good and faithful. Read this book because you don't know God and doubt His goodness. Read this book because life is hard, trials are guaranteed, but hope heals.
July 26, 2023
I read this a year and a half after my mom suffered a stroke (not even close to the magnitude of Katherine’s) but the emotions and experiences were very similar for my family. It was encouraging to be reminded of the truths of God’s Word that we have a purpose to bring Him glory each and every day no matter what road He has called us to walk. Highly recommend this book especially if you’re walking through a challenging time.
January 9, 2018
This book was so so good. Katherine and Jay (the authors) was just about my and my husband’s ages when their world turned upside down. If some tragedy befalls me or someone In my family, I’m glad to have read this first and know that not all is lost. As tragic as her stroke was, their story fills me with hope for their future.such and encouraging read.
August 24, 2016
I first heard Katherine Wolf speak at IF:Gathering back in March and found her story so compelling. This book was a Kindle deal recently so I snapped it up, and I'm glad I did. It's a powerful, inspiring story of fighting for hope and joy and trusting God in the midst of tremendous suffering.
February 7, 2024
Phew. I dare you to read without crying at least three times.
A beautiful story of resilience, hardship, and the sustaining faith and love that kept them going through it all. I savored this slowly and ended up switching to the audiobook part of the way in because I just loved hearing it read in Katherine and Jay's voices.
I really connected with Katherine's stories of feeling inadequate as a mother due to her physical limitations and how hard it was to wrestle with seeing her illness and weaknesses change not just her own life, but her family's - especially her husband and son. I also found Jay's point of view as the husband / new father incredibly fascinating and inspiring... Such a sweet love story.
You really feel like you are going on every step of this journey with them. I wept often and walked away with renewed courage to face the physical hardships the Lord allows into my life.
My only minor criticisms are 1) Theologically, there was occasionally a questionable comment here or there (mentions Beth Moore, prophecy / hearing God speak, being stronger than burnout, a couple nods to self-esteem theology, etc.) 2) I wish they had included more Scripture and pulled the ending a bit more back towards the Lord, making it a little less about them and their story. It wasn't horrible, just a bit self-centered (which is admittedly hard to avoid in a memoir haha)
Reading reminded me of Joni Eareckson Tada's "Joni" memoir, so I was pleased to hear her forward and glowing review of meeting Katherine and Jay.
So rich with personally learned spiritual truths through a hard fought battle to cling to the goodness and character of God and maintain an eternal mindset in the midst of ongoing grief and intense physical hardships.
Highly recommend.
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CW: Repeated intense medical trauma, (temporary) family separation, heavy themes and stories of physical and emotional suffering
A beautiful story of resilience, hardship, and the sustaining faith and love that kept them going through it all. I savored this slowly and ended up switching to the audiobook part of the way in because I just loved hearing it read in Katherine and Jay's voices.
I really connected with Katherine's stories of feeling inadequate as a mother due to her physical limitations and how hard it was to wrestle with seeing her illness and weaknesses change not just her own life, but her family's - especially her husband and son. I also found Jay's point of view as the husband / new father incredibly fascinating and inspiring... Such a sweet love story.
You really feel like you are going on every step of this journey with them. I wept often and walked away with renewed courage to face the physical hardships the Lord allows into my life.
My only minor criticisms are 1) Theologically, there was occasionally a questionable comment here or there (mentions Beth Moore, prophecy / hearing God speak, being stronger than burnout, a couple nods to self-esteem theology, etc.) 2) I wish they had included more Scripture and pulled the ending a bit more back towards the Lord, making it a little less about them and their story. It wasn't horrible, just a bit self-centered (which is admittedly hard to avoid in a memoir haha)
Reading reminded me of Joni Eareckson Tada's "Joni" memoir, so I was pleased to hear her forward and glowing review of meeting Katherine and Jay.
So rich with personally learned spiritual truths through a hard fought battle to cling to the goodness and character of God and maintain an eternal mindset in the midst of ongoing grief and intense physical hardships.
Highly recommend.
•
•
•
CW: Repeated intense medical trauma, (temporary) family separation, heavy themes and stories of physical and emotional suffering
March 3, 2019
I'm not sure I can unemotionally review this book. Hope Heals touched me in so many ways. Most of them painful to be honest. It just hit too close to home, and many a night it was this book that accompanied the crying myself to sleep thing I've been doing the past few months as I grieve what my chronic illness has stolen from me and attempt to heal.
Jay and Katherine Wolf were just so honest and open. While because of my own struggles that hurt deeply, I am also so thankful for how candid and honest they were about all the messy emotions and details.
Perhaps it was the just the mindset I came to this book with-- that of grieving -- but I wish they had shared more about the way hope heals.
However, I would recommend this to everyone but the squeamish (and perhaps under 13-year-olds), and especially to those who have not experienced major health issues for themselves but would like to understand those who do better -- Katherine and Jay do a great job sharing their story in a way that is easy to understand. I also greatly appreciated getting to see it from both the caregiver and the patient's POV, and from a married couple no less. Seeing their love for each other even in the messy hard trials and emotions was encouraging to me.
Jay and Katherine Wolf were just so honest and open. While because of my own struggles that hurt deeply, I am also so thankful for how candid and honest they were about all the messy emotions and details.
Perhaps it was the just the mindset I came to this book with-- that of grieving -- but I wish they had shared more about the way hope heals.
However, I would recommend this to everyone but the squeamish (and perhaps under 13-year-olds), and especially to those who have not experienced major health issues for themselves but would like to understand those who do better -- Katherine and Jay do a great job sharing their story in a way that is easy to understand. I also greatly appreciated getting to see it from both the caregiver and the patient's POV, and from a married couple no less. Seeing their love for each other even in the messy hard trials and emotions was encouraging to me.
June 19, 2021
I requested this book and my library purchased it for me a few weeks ago. I didn’t know that by the time it came in I would be in the hospital and read it alone one night in my hospital room. It was very timely and there were tears shed.
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“ ‘I don’t think this world will work for me.’ “
—
“One day, we will see. One day, the arc of our stories will all make perfect sense. One day, we will trace the lines of our scars and find them to have fallen in the most pleasant of places, to see in them our great inheritance. One day, we won’t need to hope, nor will we need to be healed because we will be face to face with Jesus.”
—
“ ‘I don’t think this world will work for me.’ “
—
“One day, we will see. One day, the arc of our stories will all make perfect sense. One day, we will trace the lines of our scars and find them to have fallen in the most pleasant of places, to see in them our great inheritance. One day, we won’t need to hope, nor will we need to be healed because we will be face to face with Jesus.”
August 7, 2025
This was by far the best audiobook I’ve ever listened to!! I don’t know if another will top it (besides their next book I want to read). I loved all the unique elements the audiobook has that the book doesn’t. Katherine and Jay Wolf really knew how to make an impact with their story. I shed many tears, laughed many times, grew convicted, and encouraged. A wonderful listen and this will definitely be a book I’ll be revisiting multiple times!!
September 10, 2019
This book had my attention the entire time! Their story is powerful and gripping as both her and her husband each take chapters to share about their journey in trusting God through suffering.
October 18, 2022
An incredible story of God's hand and of true hope even when things go horribly wrong and when healing doesn't come as expected.
November 27, 2025
Phenomenally encouraging and fantastic. If you love Joni E. Tada, race to get this book and prepare to be uplifted and propelled forward in your Christian walk in ever so many ways.
January 17, 2020
I really loved this story... it was beautifully written and so inspiring and encouraging... but not in the fluffy sense. This was a raw and authentic, hope-filled story of true suffering.
July 1, 2019
I have listened to Katherine Wolf speak a few times and loved reading her and Jay's story of hope and redemption..."The call to give thanks, not at the end, but in the midst, began to reverberate inside us. We may never arrive at the ending we hoped for, so if we waited until then to celebrate all that had been given to us, that celebration might never come at all..."All shall work together for good, everything is needful that He sends; nothing can be needful that He withholds.""
June 13, 2016
Authentic story of hope
Beautiful, poignant story that weaves the real elements of disappointment and brokenness with the call of Christians to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel.
Beautiful, poignant story that weaves the real elements of disappointment and brokenness with the call of Christians to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel.
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