Wednesday WAS Library Day- BONUS!!

Another book from the Waterbrook Blogging For Books people! YAY! Isn't that cool?

Life, In Spite of Me by Kristen Jane Anderson with Tricia Goyer

From the book jacket: Overwhelmed by wave after wave of emotional trauma, Kristen Anderson no longer wanted to live. one January night, determined to end her pain once and for all, the seventeen-year-old lay across train tracks not far from her home and waited to die.
Instead of peace, she found herself immersed in a whole new nightmare.
Before the engineer could bring the train to a stop, thirty-three freight cars passed over her at fifty-five miles per hour. After the train stopped and Kristen realized she was still alive, she looked around- and saw her legs ten feet away.
Surviving her suicide attempt but losing her legs launched Kristen into an even deeper battle with depression and suicidal thoughts as well as unrelenting physical pain- all from the seat of a wheelchair.
But in the midst of her darkest days, Kristen discovered the way to real life and a purpose for living.
Life, In spite of Me recounts in riveting detail the trauma of her suicide attempt, the miracle of her survival, and the life-transforming power of hope in Christ.
For anyone struggling to find the strength to go on, the message of this heart-wrenching yet hope-building book is clear: God loves you more than you can imagine. He has good plans for your future. Life is a gift.
An extraordinary reminder that even when we give up on life, God doesn't give up on us.

I loved this book. I got sucked in almost immediately and finished the story that day. It's a deeply personal and tragic story, but the novel is easy to read and not too weighty to take in. Kristen's tale is well-told, and compelling. I am delighted to remember once again how God takes the evil of this world, and turns it into good, that there is absolutely no situation too hopeless for God to turn it around.

I have one complaint- I wish that the book did not so convincingly argue for a non-prescription approach to healing depression.
I believe that God heals people from depression miraculously and without medication- I've seen it and I know it is possible. However, many people need anti-depressants to survive.
It's like a diabetic. Would you encourage a diabetic to "get off" insulin?
God does heal diabetes- I've seen diabetics come off insulin and survive. However, diabetes is caused by a chemical imbalance. Sometimes God chooses to heal diabetes with daily doses of insulin instead of simply removing that chemical imbalance.
Depression is most often caused by a chemical imbalance. Sometimes God chooses to heal depression with daily doses of anti-depressants, instead of simply removing that chemical imbalance.
Regardless, the book is excellent and well worth the time. I would recommend this book to anyone- whether secure in their faith or questioning, struggling with depression or not- Life In Spite of Me gives hope a face, and reminds people that God is good no matter what you are going through.

Use this link to download chapter one.
Use this link to view the video.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group