Blessed: An autobiography in three parts

by Oliver Tanner

Blessed is the first book in the autobiographical series, Blessed and Cursed and Won by first-time author, Oliver J. Tanner. It follows Oliver through his experience being raised as the fifth of thirteen children in a home mired in abuse of every kind and continues through his early childhood into adolescence and finds its culmination in his experience serving for two years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; an experience that not only changed his life and helped to shape who he is today, but culminated in his losing everything. Through it all, Oliver highlights how he has survived this journey and where he has found his answers and his inspiration to even just keep breathing.Blessed is raw, it is sometimes brutal, it is heartbreaking, it pulls no punches, and it is a statement to the world not only against the abuses suffered and an exposure of lies that have for too long prevailed, but also of the reasons why, even despite his difficult journey, Oliver truly does consider himself to be blessed beyond his wildest expectations. It is an examination of the real-life monsters in Oliver’s past, both in his world and within himself. Blessed may feel like just a story to you as you read, and it may sometimes feel like it can’t be real, but for Oliver, this is the story of his life, told more boldly and openly than he has ever told it to anyone before.

193 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 26, 2021

About the author

Oliver J Tanner has had many roles in life: missionary, airman, chef, and now, author. Additionally, he is currently enrolled in the Masters in Counseling program with an emphasis on Mental Health Counseling at Mid-America Nazarene University. Blessed is his first published work and the first book in his three-part autobiography, Blessed and Cursed and Won, a work that is several years in the making. Oliver aims to take the lessons learned throughout his life, documented in this book and its forthcoming sequels, pair them with his training as a counselor, and use it all to help other survivors of trauma and abuse as well as fellow military veterans and their families. Religion and spirituality are deeply important to Oliver and have provided the framework of how he has dealt with the roller coaster of his life, from his turbulent early years down to the present day.

Reviews

[Lisa Rector]

This memoir is a hard read, and yet, while I say that, it’s a touching one too. I found myself touched by the Spirit on many occasions while reading this. The abuse was hard to read, and breaks my heart, but this memoir is a great testament to a fighter and the strength God gave him to beat the horrible odds.

[Emma Eliza]

This book has a very special place in my heart. It touches things like abuse neglect and so much more but it isn’t just about that, it’s not just about someone surviving it but overcoming it and it’s helped me so much with my understanding of things I love the lessons I was able to learn from it and the perspective I was able to gain I don’t think any other book has stirred as many emotions as this one and I’m so very grateful for it. It helped me so much when I was going through a hard part of my life and I will definitely be reading it again i’ve been meaning to write this review for a long time and have already read the other books definitely recommend all of them.

[Char]

Such a tragic upbringing. I loved the hope that was at the end. I really feel like this is a must read for anyone abused or if you love someone that has been abused.

2024 update: This was my first time reading this as a physical book. I cried in every chapter, Sometimes with deep pain, sometimes with emence gratitude for the people who were put in Oliver's life or gratitude for God and the steadfastness that Oliver has developed through Jesus Christ.