Porch #104 📚 3 memoirs that celebrate resilience (+ bonus read)

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Hey all my book-lovin' companions ~

We touched on resilience a few weeks back (read here) and that got me thinking of some memorable memoirs with that theme.  Last month, we talked about Beth Moore's riveting story.  This week I'm sharing three more ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ titles that are well worth the investment of your valued time.

And I'm throwing in an excellent bonus read if you need a bit of coaching for your own resilience quest.

What a way to begin wrapping up your own personal summer reading season, entering the world of others who have much to teach us, courtesy of their own vulnerability, suffering, and yes, resilience.

So settle on in and put your feet up.  We've got a whole lot to explore and talk through.  I hope you enjoy.

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Everything Happens For a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved
Kate Bowler
Stunning, tragic, with wisps of humor and wisdom that refuse to be quenched, author Kate Bowler gently extends her hand to the reader as she walks through the valley of the shadow of the diagnosis of Stage IV cancer at the age of 35 ... in the midst of caring for those she adores, forging ahead with the beloved work she's been called to do, and wrestling with broken-hearted faith.

Bonus points for this Duke Divinity School professor's Absolutely Never Say This To People Experiencing Terrible Times: A Short List and Give This A Go at the end of the book. 

Five years after publishing this New York Times Bestseller, Kate is still going strong with a powerful outreach and a much-needed empathetic influence.  Her 2021 follow-up book is outstanding as well - No Cure for Being Human: (And Other Truths I Need to Hear).  Her kind, perceptive, hard-won wisdom is priceless.


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Educated: A Memoir
Tara Westover
This New York Times Bestseller is an absolutely raw, devastating, yet hope-filled work.  This brilliant author's riveting, unbelievable storyline is never the less true, her writing style completely captivating.  You'll be rooting for her every step of the way, you'll marvel at the choices she makes and the obstacles she overcomes as an isolated child of survivalists, kept out of school, and a victim of violence.  Her slow and steady rise to the top makes for top-notch reading.

More than once I simply closed the book to catch my breath and process the reality of her life in those fragile, formative years.  Talk about resilience.

Four years after publication, this interview is a welcome update.

($11.70 SALE PRICE!!)

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Where the Light Fell: A Memoir
Philip Yancey
This book was one of my three favorite reads two years ago.  If you ever read Philip Yancey, this unsettling powerhouse of a saga will enlarge and enrich everything you've gleaned from his work over the decades.  There are no words to fully describe this heart-wrenching memoir which the author says took many years to write.  As you read, you'll understand why.  

'Yancey dives into his family origins, taking us on an evocative journey from the backwoods of the Bible Belt to the bustling streets of Philadelphia; from trailer parks to church sanctuaries; from family oddballs to fire-and-brimstone preachers and childhood awakenings through nature, music, and literature.  In time, the weight of religious and family pressure sent both sons on opposite paths—one toward healing from the impact of what he calls a “toxic faith,” the other into a self-destructive spiral.'

This season finds the author living with Parkinson's Disease.  I'm delighted to see him engaging with the media with his signature warmth and quiet wisdom as he brings salt and light into a volatile world.  

Meanwhile, I love this little clip of conversation with Kate Bowler.

 ($4.99 SALE PRICE!!)

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BONUS READ
Gordon MacDonald
Three years ago, I pulled this book off my office bookshelf for one reason only.  I was turning 65 and I was not a happy camper.  

That timely re-read was a powerful attitude adjuster, reorienting me toward future possibilities instead of wasting time wringing my hands over more candles on my cake.  

(note to self: it's time for yet another review, girl ... put this on that must-read pile)

MacDonald writes, 'In the great race of life, there are some Christ-followers who stand out from all the rest ... They seem to possess these spiritual qualities: 
* They are committed to finishing strong

* They are inspired by a big-picture view of life

* They run free of the weight of the past

* They run confidently, trained to go the distance

*They run in the company of a 'happy few'

If you're feeling kind of aimless and without a clear purpose, grab this little volume.  Good stuff if you're yearning for a pastoral coach to speak truth into your life.  
Paperback
($8.49 SALE PRICE!!)

We're here for booktalk, where the conversation that follows is always the best part.  I'd love to hear what pages you're turning as the end of summer peeks around the corner.
Linda

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