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Letters From the Mountain
In this memoir of the craft, Ben Palpant unpacks a lifetime of wisdom gained through the long, hard work of learning to write and to live well. Delivered as a series of letters from father to daughter, he patiently and gracefully paints a vision of what it means to enter into one's creative work as an act of generative obedience--an act that blesses the writer, the work itself, and the world that receives it. Palpant reveals the creative process not only as an act of love and attentive artisanship, but as the work of shaping a life and a heart that points toward the coming of a Kingdom and the renewal of Creation itself.
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First published September 24, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
February 4, 2022
I hope every writer and creative who loves Jesus and wants to serve him through their work reads this book. Sooner rather than later.
October 3, 2021
i didn't know what i was getting myself into when i picked up this book. It's the newest thing from Rabbit Room Press, and i know they do good work, but i hadn't heard of the author or read much about it. And then i started reading. And i wish i had had this book decades ago. It's a memoir from a father to his daughter, on their shared writing vocation—which is something remarkable in itself; he is passing along to her his decades of experience and wisdom, hard-won, which has clearly shaped him significantly and which i am confident could benefit anyone setting on such a vocation (and not just a writing vocation, but pastoring, or anything intentional; Christian pilgrimage; being a human). This book is deep, calm, wide. He writes not only of writing, but of humility and devotion.
i read through this book in a weekend. Next time i will soak a little longer and reflect a little deeper. i wish i had a mentor like this, and hope to be such a mentor to someone. And i am grateful to have near-accidentally read this much-needed book.
i read through this book in a weekend. Next time i will soak a little longer and reflect a little deeper. i wish i had a mentor like this, and hope to be such a mentor to someone. And i am grateful to have near-accidentally read this much-needed book.
March 9, 2022
prediction: this will be one of, if not the, best books i read this year.
i dare not call myself a writer by any stretch of the imagination, but this book made me want to be one. but even though it's about the writing life, i think it applies to anybody who wants to live well.
i dare not call myself a writer by any stretch of the imagination, but this book made me want to be one. but even though it's about the writing life, i think it applies to anybody who wants to live well.
October 2, 2021
“A river flows through the center of your heart’s castle and out into the city of man. Set your little bread—be it a word or an idea—upon the water and let it follow the current. Someone downstream will pick it up and take it home and be fed by it.”
Through letters penned to his daughter, Ben Palpant offers rich spiritual bread for writers, but other artists and really any Christian desiring to use his or her gifts and talents for the glory of God will find nourishment here, too. As with every other Palpant book I’ve read, I walk away with a treasure trove of commonplace quotes. Read and be fed.
Through letters penned to his daughter, Ben Palpant offers rich spiritual bread for writers, but other artists and really any Christian desiring to use his or her gifts and talents for the glory of God will find nourishment here, too. As with every other Palpant book I’ve read, I walk away with a treasure trove of commonplace quotes. Read and be fed.
July 25, 2023
Was enthralled by this slim little, beautiful, lyrical book these last 2 weeks- and enjoyed it chapter by chapter each morning slow and steady. Full of such heart and biblical wisdom and encouragement and challenge. Yes, is technically a memoir of the craft, of generative writing, but it’s so much more! It’s for absolutely anyone passionate about their work, their creativity, the culture they’re building, their legacy.
Another addition to my forever favorites shelf! Just lovely!
Another addition to my forever favorites shelf! Just lovely!
August 9, 2025
Good, golden little nuggets of insights into the reading life as well as the spiritual, the pitfalls, the joys, the struggles, the work and dedication needed to live both live fully, purposefully and beautifully. Divided into letters to his daughter the book is a great testament for any writer and Christian who seek encouragement to continue doing work that glorifies God and ennobles the heart.
February 16, 2022
Full of winsome and humble wisdom from a father to his daughter and an experienced writer to a less experienced one. I obviously don't know Ben Palpant personally, but I felt his words as I would feel those of a fatherly mentor. They are beautifully, painstakingly, lovingly crafted with the aim of doing spiritual good. As he might say, they are "generative." As Wendell Berry once put it, Mr. Palpant demonstrates his own "hard-earned beautiful knowledge" in these pages. His words have certainly strengthened and challenged me to strive for generativity and hard-earned beauty in my own life and writing.
January 27, 2022
“You’re an extension of Christ. He is the fire. Your life is a lantern framing his flame.”
I believe this is the book that I needed to read at the dawn of the new year. The spark of writing has long since been dead, as life has taken over. Ben Palpant’s book has reinvigorated my love for writing and a desire to share truths and experiences with the world.
I believe this is the book that I needed to read at the dawn of the new year. The spark of writing has long since been dead, as life has taken over. Ben Palpant’s book has reinvigorated my love for writing and a desire to share truths and experiences with the world.
October 12, 2022
this is a benediction of a book. such a helpful blend of solid, God-exalting truth and gentle courage for little writers like me. i'm so grateful to the person who anonymously mailed it to me last winter. if you're out there, God make his face to shine upon you.
April 25, 2023
I didn't realize this book was advice and wisdom for writers when I bought it and alas I am not a writer so I was not the intended demographic. I did however find little gems in and around the writing wisdom. Absolutely stunning cover.
June 13, 2025
Surprised me… Super unique reflection on the writing life.
July 18, 2024
I loved this book. It’s about writing, but really about life and faith. I loved his distinction between silence and isolation. Probably one I will end up buying to have on my bookshelf.
April 14, 2023
I can’t say enough good about this book.
Letters from the Mountain is written as a series of letters from father to daughter on the theme of the writing life. Each chapter touches on a different aspect of the writing life, and each chapter is so terrific that it surprises me when the next chapter is just as good.
He discusses relevant issues that writers face in their daily life and has a unique gift of being practical while addressing spiritual and emotional matters. The book covers (among other topics) time, anxiety, craftmanship, organization, contentment vs. ambition, and community.
It’s a terrific book I would recommend to every writer.
Letters from the Mountain is written as a series of letters from father to daughter on the theme of the writing life. Each chapter touches on a different aspect of the writing life, and each chapter is so terrific that it surprises me when the next chapter is just as good.
He discusses relevant issues that writers face in their daily life and has a unique gift of being practical while addressing spiritual and emotional matters. The book covers (among other topics) time, anxiety, craftmanship, organization, contentment vs. ambition, and community.
It’s a terrific book I would recommend to every writer.
January 9, 2026
Title: Letters from the Mountain
Author: Ben Palpant
Publisher, year: Rabbit Room Press, 2021
Format reviewed: paperback
Page count: 201
Genre / category: non-fiction, epistolary reflections
Letters from the Mountain claims to be an unpacking of wisdom on the creative work of a writer. Like Andrew Peterson's Adorning the Dark, it's less about how to write and more about how a writer lives—particularly the generative writer. In the second chapter/letter, Palpant unpacks what he means by "generative writer," using three attributes: generational, inspirational, and generous. He then spends the remaining seventeen letters diving deep into these and examining them from different angles. Some of his ideas are either familiar or intuitive to the Christian, but a substantial portion of the book consisted of either new and fresh reflections or reflections presented in a new and fresh way. For example, Palpant presents a compelling case for valuing quantity time over quality time.
Subject matter: Strong, 4/5
Delivered as a series of letters from a writer father to his writer daughter, apparently at a liminal moment in her life, this book carries a boldly affectionate and a fatherly tone. This made for a memorable read, and it was much more accessible to the layman than Makoto Fujimura's Art and Faith. Palpant captures the attention with a story at the start of each chapter, which then serves as an analogy for the idea he goes on to discuss.
Voice and style: Outstanding, 5/5
Ben Palpant is the cross-genre author of several other works, which include poetry, memoirs, and children's books, and he has taught writing to students in some form or capacity. He communicates his reflections and exhortations with humility and confidence, thereby practicing what he preaches in his second-to-last letter. I appreciate that he acknowledges up front that he is sometimes wrong but then delivers his charges with the conviction of one whose life has proven them. I also appreciate that he includes quotes from others, sometimes building on them and sometimes disputing them.
Authorial credibility and method: Strong, 4/5
Flipping through the pages after the fact, I see more Bible references than I remember reading. This tells me that they were not obnoxious and that they were seamlessly integrated into the content. Let it be known that the purpose of this book is not to spend chapters exegeting Scripture; its periodic use of Scripture to expand on or illustrate an idea was appropriate, tasteful, and faithful to the biblical context. No interpretation of Scripture was far left-field.
Biblical considerations: Strong, 4/5
I'm no expert on book cover materials, but the cover of my paperback edition seemed to be uncoated cardstock with a papery, slightly textured feel. This, together with the French flaps, imbued it with a distinctive artisanal and premium quality. It feels special among my books. The interior formatting is clean and non-obtrusive, and the heading font is playful but easy to read.
Physical product: Outstanding, 5/5
This book left me feeling inspired and motivated to serve the Lord and His Kingdom's purposes with excellence and enthusiasm through my work as a writer—and also in life at large as a wife, mother, and friend. I'm sure that I've been exposed to the idea countless times that every moment has worth or potential in light of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God; this book makes me believe it and feel the weight of it, particularly through the letters regarding time and the mundane.
Personal impact: Strong, 4/5
Letters from the Mountain by Ben Palpant is valuable first and foremost to the budding young writer who is eager to submit their creative efforts to the purposes of God and who has a heart of humility to gracefully receive advice from someone further along on the journey. Non-writers may still benefit from this book, but a lot of its value would be lost on the non-Christian reader, even if they are a writer.
My final rating: 4.3 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Features included:
✔️table of contents
✔️further reading
Author: Ben Palpant
Publisher, year: Rabbit Room Press, 2021
Format reviewed: paperback
Page count: 201
Genre / category: non-fiction, epistolary reflections
Letters from the Mountain claims to be an unpacking of wisdom on the creative work of a writer. Like Andrew Peterson's Adorning the Dark, it's less about how to write and more about how a writer lives—particularly the generative writer. In the second chapter/letter, Palpant unpacks what he means by "generative writer," using three attributes: generational, inspirational, and generous. He then spends the remaining seventeen letters diving deep into these and examining them from different angles. Some of his ideas are either familiar or intuitive to the Christian, but a substantial portion of the book consisted of either new and fresh reflections or reflections presented in a new and fresh way. For example, Palpant presents a compelling case for valuing quantity time over quality time.
Subject matter: Strong, 4/5
Delivered as a series of letters from a writer father to his writer daughter, apparently at a liminal moment in her life, this book carries a boldly affectionate and a fatherly tone. This made for a memorable read, and it was much more accessible to the layman than Makoto Fujimura's Art and Faith. Palpant captures the attention with a story at the start of each chapter, which then serves as an analogy for the idea he goes on to discuss.
Voice and style: Outstanding, 5/5
Ben Palpant is the cross-genre author of several other works, which include poetry, memoirs, and children's books, and he has taught writing to students in some form or capacity. He communicates his reflections and exhortations with humility and confidence, thereby practicing what he preaches in his second-to-last letter. I appreciate that he acknowledges up front that he is sometimes wrong but then delivers his charges with the conviction of one whose life has proven them. I also appreciate that he includes quotes from others, sometimes building on them and sometimes disputing them.
Authorial credibility and method: Strong, 4/5
Flipping through the pages after the fact, I see more Bible references than I remember reading. This tells me that they were not obnoxious and that they were seamlessly integrated into the content. Let it be known that the purpose of this book is not to spend chapters exegeting Scripture; its periodic use of Scripture to expand on or illustrate an idea was appropriate, tasteful, and faithful to the biblical context. No interpretation of Scripture was far left-field.
Biblical considerations: Strong, 4/5
I'm no expert on book cover materials, but the cover of my paperback edition seemed to be uncoated cardstock with a papery, slightly textured feel. This, together with the French flaps, imbued it with a distinctive artisanal and premium quality. It feels special among my books. The interior formatting is clean and non-obtrusive, and the heading font is playful but easy to read.
Physical product: Outstanding, 5/5
This book left me feeling inspired and motivated to serve the Lord and His Kingdom's purposes with excellence and enthusiasm through my work as a writer—and also in life at large as a wife, mother, and friend. I'm sure that I've been exposed to the idea countless times that every moment has worth or potential in light of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God; this book makes me believe it and feel the weight of it, particularly through the letters regarding time and the mundane.
Personal impact: Strong, 4/5
Letters from the Mountain by Ben Palpant is valuable first and foremost to the budding young writer who is eager to submit their creative efforts to the purposes of God and who has a heart of humility to gracefully receive advice from someone further along on the journey. Non-writers may still benefit from this book, but a lot of its value would be lost on the non-Christian reader, even if they are a writer.
My final rating: 4.3 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Features included:
✔️table of contents
✔️further reading
September 13, 2022
I bought this book last November in a cute bookstore in Franklin, Tennessee. I totally judged the book by the cover. I was honestly trying to find a book to support the small business. I finally had some free time to pick it up and read it. And little did I know, it is a book for writers. Christian writers to be more specific. It is a book from a father to a daughter encouraging her in her writing.
Once I realized this book was geared toward writers, I thought about putting it down. I am so glad that I decided to keep reading. I took away a lot of knowledge. Mr. Palpant is such a beautiful writer. I just thought I would share some of the nuggets of wisdom that I ingested while reading Letters from the Mountain.
-The more that beauty forms and informs us, the more cause we will have to praise God. The penultimate purpose of the Christian Life is uncomplicated: give glory to God and enjoy Him throughout life…The human heart naturally rolls downhill toward worry, complaint, and frustration. Praise and true enjoyment of God require intention. They do not come to us easily; we must push them up the mountain as we climb. (I honestly never really had the thought to enjoy God…Serve Him yes, but enjoy Him, no. I love that thought).
-May you seek God in the quiet moments and the chaotic ones. May you find in him a well of inspiration. May you incline your heart’s ear toward God prayerfully, earnestly, simply, and devotedly. May you listen for God’s voice like one who drops a stone down a dark abyss, your senses strained keenly to hear the moment it hits the water. May you cultivate your hearing so that he may clarify your life. (I loved this analogy because I know the exact feeling and the anticipation of waiting to hear the object hit the water. My husband and I would do that waiting on God to fill our well. We would drop down rocks and hold our breath until they hit the water to see if the level had risen)
-We’re not logical machines always making the best possible decisions given adequate information, acting only after we consider our options. While sometimes true, many of our decisions are unconscious, turned by the heart’s desire. The heart’s desires color how we think and propel us to action. We’re not fundamentally knowers or even believers, we’re lovers.
-We so desperately want to control time or get more of it or get it back, but maybe God has called us to jump in and swim along. It is his river. Maybe we would enjoy life more if we recognized that reality. Maybe we would trust him more. Maybe we would rest in him a little more easily.
-Everything we do, everything to which we put our minds and hands, we do in the name of God and for the sake of his kingdom. (This helped me with my attitude towards my job)
-Love desires solitude, and selfishness desires isolation. Isolation amplifies the ego’s siren song; solitude exposes the heart’s unbridled babble. Solitude also affords the opportunity to feel mystery and immensity while encouraging an awareness of the inner life that relentless busyness and fear tend to arrest.
Once I realized this book was geared toward writers, I thought about putting it down. I am so glad that I decided to keep reading. I took away a lot of knowledge. Mr. Palpant is such a beautiful writer. I just thought I would share some of the nuggets of wisdom that I ingested while reading Letters from the Mountain.
-The more that beauty forms and informs us, the more cause we will have to praise God. The penultimate purpose of the Christian Life is uncomplicated: give glory to God and enjoy Him throughout life…The human heart naturally rolls downhill toward worry, complaint, and frustration. Praise and true enjoyment of God require intention. They do not come to us easily; we must push them up the mountain as we climb. (I honestly never really had the thought to enjoy God…Serve Him yes, but enjoy Him, no. I love that thought).
-May you seek God in the quiet moments and the chaotic ones. May you find in him a well of inspiration. May you incline your heart’s ear toward God prayerfully, earnestly, simply, and devotedly. May you listen for God’s voice like one who drops a stone down a dark abyss, your senses strained keenly to hear the moment it hits the water. May you cultivate your hearing so that he may clarify your life. (I loved this analogy because I know the exact feeling and the anticipation of waiting to hear the object hit the water. My husband and I would do that waiting on God to fill our well. We would drop down rocks and hold our breath until they hit the water to see if the level had risen)
-We’re not logical machines always making the best possible decisions given adequate information, acting only after we consider our options. While sometimes true, many of our decisions are unconscious, turned by the heart’s desire. The heart’s desires color how we think and propel us to action. We’re not fundamentally knowers or even believers, we’re lovers.
-We so desperately want to control time or get more of it or get it back, but maybe God has called us to jump in and swim along. It is his river. Maybe we would enjoy life more if we recognized that reality. Maybe we would trust him more. Maybe we would rest in him a little more easily.
-Everything we do, everything to which we put our minds and hands, we do in the name of God and for the sake of his kingdom. (This helped me with my attitude towards my job)
-Love desires solitude, and selfishness desires isolation. Isolation amplifies the ego’s siren song; solitude exposes the heart’s unbridled babble. Solitude also affords the opportunity to feel mystery and immensity while encouraging an awareness of the inner life that relentless busyness and fear tend to arrest.
April 10, 2025
I only give 5 stars to books I’ve finished that I immediately want to read-to-re-finish. These books attain to the Fives. Letters from the Mountain has attained.
This book is about writing. More, it’s about the writing life. More, it’s about giving what you have to others, including, when the gift is in the form of words. Who knows if the Lord wants you to have a lot of followers? We do know the Lord blesses seeds sown. So sow more.
Palpant names this *generativity*. I’m a sucker for neologisms, and generativity has been growing like a weed in the leaf-mold of my mind for the last few months. Generativity is generous, living, consistent but not like a machine, appreciating beauty without being a perfectionist. Generativity comes from being honest, humble, and even out of suffering. Generativity has a “multiplying effect on others,” it is contagious, and it is “impossible apart from God’s grace.”
The format of these Letters is that of a writing dad to his writing daughter. It has a personal feel, but it also is not private, certainly not girly. My point: dudes won’t lose their man card reading this.
If I had taken the time earlier I would have posted this review before hearing Ben speak in person at our recent Raggant Fiction Festival. And now that our Festival day is done, I only recommend the book *more*. (If you want to listen to his three talks, find them here.)
The only thing that has kept me from restarting my reread of Mountains is that I’ve started reading his newest book, An Axe for the Frozen Sea. Those pages are interviews with poets, and it’s no less provocative toward generativity.
This book is about writing. More, it’s about the writing life. More, it’s about giving what you have to others, including, when the gift is in the form of words. Who knows if the Lord wants you to have a lot of followers? We do know the Lord blesses seeds sown. So sow more.
Palpant names this *generativity*. I’m a sucker for neologisms, and generativity has been growing like a weed in the leaf-mold of my mind for the last few months. Generativity is generous, living, consistent but not like a machine, appreciating beauty without being a perfectionist. Generativity comes from being honest, humble, and even out of suffering. Generativity has a “multiplying effect on others,” it is contagious, and it is “impossible apart from God’s grace.”
The format of these Letters is that of a writing dad to his writing daughter. It has a personal feel, but it also is not private, certainly not girly. My point: dudes won’t lose their man card reading this.
If I had taken the time earlier I would have posted this review before hearing Ben speak in person at our recent Raggant Fiction Festival. And now that our Festival day is done, I only recommend the book *more*. (If you want to listen to his three talks, find them here.)
The only thing that has kept me from restarting my reread of Mountains is that I’ve started reading his newest book, An Axe for the Frozen Sea. Those pages are interviews with poets, and it’s no less provocative toward generativity.
March 24, 2025
I know he’s trying to be thoughtful and profound, but the author just seems cheesy and lays it on thick.
For example:
“Wherever God leads you, whatever your circumstances, may you remain unspoiled by the world's tinsel toys. May you forever stand beneath God's gratuitous beauty and give thanks for so many cascading gifts— the magnificent and the miniscule. May you learn beauty's subtleties-the wondrous and the beloved, the textured and the luminous, the transcendent and the ordinary. May you watch for the delicate and the overlooked. A word. A glance. A gesture of grace.”
See what I mean? It’s a bit much.
It also annoyed me that he followed that “start each chapter with a personal anecdote that may or may not be relevant” pattern that every Christian book ever nowadays seems to have.
He ultimately has good things to say, but I was so distracted by his extra writing style I had trouble holding on to them.
For example:
“Wherever God leads you, whatever your circumstances, may you remain unspoiled by the world's tinsel toys. May you forever stand beneath God's gratuitous beauty and give thanks for so many cascading gifts— the magnificent and the miniscule. May you learn beauty's subtleties-the wondrous and the beloved, the textured and the luminous, the transcendent and the ordinary. May you watch for the delicate and the overlooked. A word. A glance. A gesture of grace.”
See what I mean? It’s a bit much.
It also annoyed me that he followed that “start each chapter with a personal anecdote that may or may not be relevant” pattern that every Christian book ever nowadays seems to have.
He ultimately has good things to say, but I was so distracted by his extra writing style I had trouble holding on to them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2021
“Dear One, a father desires to share some of his hard-earned convictions and half-formed ideas with his daughter, whom he hopes will come to terms with her gifting and calling. He longs for her faith journey to culminate at the peak where the 360-degree view will undo her, where she will weep for sheer joy, where she will laugh with exhilaration.” — Ben Palpant, Letters from the Mountain, pp. 2-3.
As a writer, I have a special affection for good books on writing. As one who writes about spirituality, I’m particularly fond of books that address the craft of writing as a vocation. Palpant’s Letters from the Mountain made me laugh until I cried and cry until I laughed again. I bought 10 copies to give away as Christmas gifts to writer friends.
As a writer, I have a special affection for good books on writing. As one who writes about spirituality, I’m particularly fond of books that address the craft of writing as a vocation. Palpant’s Letters from the Mountain made me laugh until I cried and cry until I laughed again. I bought 10 copies to give away as Christmas gifts to writer friends.
January 12, 2025
Not long ago I would have found this profound and stirring. It’s not so now. I still find goodness and wisdom in its pages but for an application that is far removed from the glory of a creator. I recognize within Palpant a thoughtful and loving human who struggles deeply and violently with meaning in this often cruel world and yet I see his answer of, essentially, “but God” to be merely a convenient blindfold that keeps him satisfied in a darkness he believes to be light. As he so passionately asserts himself, perhaps if he removed the blindfold and pushed forward a bit further into the unknown beyond his own answers he would have something truly worthwhile to say. Worthwhile to me at least.
January 21, 2023
This is an essential book for writers, and anyone else compelled to share ideas and hope in any form. I’ve already gifted this book to several dear friends and family, and it will be a go-to for gifts for special people in my life, who I sense also feel this deep call.
Palpant uses beautiful metaphors to illustrate beautiful Truth to inspire, correct, train, and encourage. Letters from the Mountain quickly rises to a special place as one of my favorite books and I already look forward to revisiting the many margin notes and underlines and the many conversations it will inspire with my friends!
Palpant uses beautiful metaphors to illustrate beautiful Truth to inspire, correct, train, and encourage. Letters from the Mountain quickly rises to a special place as one of my favorite books and I already look forward to revisiting the many margin notes and underlines and the many conversations it will inspire with my friends!
October 25, 2024
This book is writing advice, written in letter format from father to daughter. You can easily translate "writing" to whatever creative branch you pursue. It's easy to follow, well-organized, and straight to the point. Palpant's advice is solid, biblical, sometimes profound, but I found most of it to be an amalgamation of ideas I've heard just by reading a lot of good books. I think this would be a great read for graduates or those just dipping their toes into a life of creating as a believer. It reads with the ease of a simple devotional but has the depth of a studied and Christ-seeking soul.
January 15, 2022
I’m going to start out with the one negative. There’s some advice in here that is based in culture but is treated as universal. Being early to rise does not make you a more diligent person. So in some more practical areas I think the advice is off.
Having said that, this book shines in the things that matter most. It is a delicate and loving invitation to live a good life. The author’s love for his daughter and for his God shine through constantly. It will uplift and transport the reader into a peaceful and contemplative place.
Having said that, this book shines in the things that matter most. It is a delicate and loving invitation to live a good life. The author’s love for his daughter and for his God shine through constantly. It will uplift and transport the reader into a peaceful and contemplative place.
February 14, 2025
What a sweet set of letters to his daughter. One of my favorite letters was him telling her to not be discouraged by the mundane of a day job. Because creative people can often feel held back and feel as if they can’t accomplish things in the normal day job. But, I love how he says that we are to still work as if working for the Lord. Every part of our lives has purpose. Don’t be held back by it or not put as much effort toward it. Use it to give God glory. Enjoy it as a part of your life. Use it as inspiration for your creative side.
February 21, 2022
Beautiful through and through. This work is a testimony to the power of passing along wisdom from one generation to the next, but also on the craft of artistry across any application. Read this slowly and take it all in. Whether reading as a father, a child, a writer, or a creator of any kind, you won't walk away the same. Palpant comes back to gift and gratitude over and over again, and that's just what he's passed along.
September 22, 2022
Insightful, well-written, and relentlessly focused on the glory of God and the diligent use of skill towards that end.
If Goodreads had half-stars, this would be 4.5 stars: there are times where he makes two contrary generalized prescriptions in a single chapter, without enough clarity to know where the balance lies, particularly in the last few chapters.
This is a small knock, though, for how good the rest of the book is, so it's worth rounding up rather than down.
If Goodreads had half-stars, this would be 4.5 stars: there are times where he makes two contrary generalized prescriptions in a single chapter, without enough clarity to know where the balance lies, particularly in the last few chapters.
This is a small knock, though, for how good the rest of the book is, so it's worth rounding up rather than down.
November 5, 2021
This book is about so much more than writing. It is also about aligning your life and your perspective to God’s. I am encouraged and chastised, with renewed hope not just for my writing but for the obscure and mundane plans God may have for me. Bravo Ben! Your daughter is blessed to have such wise guidance and so are the rest of us.
November 9, 2021
By far the best writing book I’ve ever read. This was incredibly life giving for me and gave me the encouragement I needed to keep writing the things God is calling me to write, even if the voices of the world are telling me to do otherwise. Ben has a gift for encouragement, and this book will be sure to encourage your heart.
June 27, 2025
One of the most insightful and beautiful book I’ve read in quite some time. The tips on writing were wonderful and could also easily translate to tips on life in general. It felt like Ben Palpant was my spiritual dad of sorts, conversationally advising me on all the pitfalls of life. He’s the mentor I never knew I wanted. Truly a healing book in many ways for me!
November 9, 2021
Beautifully written. Thoughtful and sage advice revealed through Palpant’s fresh eyes.
The epistolary format of a father writing to his daughter brings the content to life with depth and passion.
Thank you, Ben Palpant and Rabbit Room Press for this gem.
The epistolary format of a father writing to his daughter brings the content to life with depth and passion.
Thank you, Ben Palpant and Rabbit Room Press for this gem.
June 4, 2022
Palpant skillfully weaves together wisdom from other writers, anecdotes from his own life, and truth from the pages of Scripture in order to give those who write (or long to write) much-needed encouragement and guidance as well as a compelling reminder of the Reason behind why we do what we do.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews