In her first book, Trish Ryan chronicled the ways in which finding faith lead her to the happily-ever-after ending that had eluded her for so long. Only it wasn't an ending. It was a beginning.
In A MAZE OF GRACE, Ryan picks up where she left off, sharing the early years of her marriage, and the challenges that both shaped and startled her: temptations regarding fidelity, the anxiety of shifting body image, the awkward nature of following Jesus in a decidedly secular family and city, and struggles (depression, trying to conceive) that made her wonder if God had lost her file.
With appealing candor, Ryan sweeps the reader into her life and ponders questions and issues that we all face, dropping nuggets of wisdom along the way that are sure to inspire, encourage and help readers from all walks of life.
A Maze of Grace: A Memoir of Second Chances by Trish RyanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
All right, I'm going to be incredibly honest. I won this book from a blog giveaway. I remember winning it, and I put it on my bookshelf thinking, "I'll read that someday." I knew nothing about it--not even that it was a Christian book. I had never heard of the author, and when I picked up the book, I doubted I would like it very much.
My mind changed in a relatively short period of time. I discovered within a few pages that Trish Ryan was a Christian author, and this was a book that was going to change my life. For the better. And it did! I think I have said before that I don't keep books very often once I read them, but this one is definitely joining the elite ranks. The only way I would ever part from it would be if I were passing it on to someone else who needed it more than I did. Fat chance of that ever happening!!
The thing I appreciated about the book so much was that Trish Ryan speaks so realistically. She doesn't hide behind "Christianese." She tells it like it is, and if she doesn't know something, she says so! It was so refreshing to read about someone who hears God speak to her regularly and doesn't buy into religious claptrap. And this woman has been through more than I probably ever will. She sees her Christian walk as a process, not just a one-time thing.
I was able to identify with a lot of what she said since I myself am a divorced Christian. I also loved the fact that she made me think about my Christian walk in new ways that made good sense. I think sometimes it takes someone who did not grow up as a Christian to challenge us in our Christian beliefs. I appreciate her perspective!
I cannot even begin to tell you all the things I learned. There was far too much to remember! What I will say is that she is a woman who follows Jesus, seeks His will, and still knows how to have a fun time. She writes with humor and understanding in a way few Christian female authors do. I look forward to reading more of her books in the future!
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About the Author (from her website in her words)
My dream, ever since I was a little girl, was to be a super hero.
Specifically, I wanted to be one of the Wonder Twins, meeting with
Superman and Wonder Woman at the Hall of Justice on Saturday
mornings to fight evil and save the world. Lacking a twin, I got a law
degree instead, thinking it would give me evil-fighting super hero powers.
As it turns out, I was wrong.
Shortly after realizing that I hated billable hours, I ended (read: fled) my career in law, and spent the next few years trying to make sense of the world. I couldn’t shake the belief that things could/should/would be different – better, somehow – if only I could figure out what really mattered. I wanted to know how things like spirituality and luck and intuition worked, and how I could make them work for me. So I embarked on a quest to find the right God, but spent much of my time trying to find the right guy. At a certain point, after accumulating a heaping pile of mistakes on both counts, I came to see that the two might be intertwined.
The good news is, after much trial and error, I finally found them both: the God, and the guy.
Now I live in Cambridge , Massachusetts
(Of course, her book is out! Go get it!)
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