I’ll be honest: I chose this book because I recognized Patsy Clairmont’s name. I hadn’t read her materials before, but I thought this would be a good opportunity to get to know her work.
Overall, I’d say this book was rather “eh.” Do you know what I mean?
The subject of the book is brokenness, which we have all experienced to some degree (if you’ve lived very long!). Patsy spends a few chapters expounding on brokenness. And then she spends the rest of the book talking about finding healing through music, prayer, poetry, books, puzzles, nature, and gardening.
Pros…
Patsy is fairly transparent about her struggles and learning experiences, which is refreshing. Of course I appreciate honesty. I try to be transparent on our blog, and I really don’t enjoy reading authors who try to pretend their lives are perfect. Mine is far from perfect, so I just cannot relate to authors like that.
She also gives practical suggestions of resources at the end of each chapter, such as museums to visit, art to view, poems to read, music to listen to, etc.
Cons…
Brokenness is real. It’s everywhere. And I know I’m quite a few years behind Patsy in experience, but I’ve found in my own life that when push comes to shove, the only thing that truly heals is the truth of Scripture permeating my life. Music can be beautiful, refreshing, and enjoyable, but it doesn’t heal my brokenness unless it’s reinforcing the truths of Scripture (like Seeds Family Worship or Hidden In My Heart). And I don’t think Patsy would disagree with that. But her suggestions fell flat when compared with the great power of Scripture.
If you’re experiencing brokenness, permeate your life with the power of God’s Word. Skip this book.
Disclosure: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson as part of the BookSneeze program. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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