Lisa Whittle Read it & it Changed Her.

Sep 10, 2010Find joy today, Heal from the past

Thin Places: a review

by Lisa Whittle

There are few books that touch the soul in such a deep way that they linger.  Thin Places can tout such a claim.  Even now, months after reading, the thought of sharing its impact stirs up emotion within me.  The truth in its pages speaks that loudly.

I can extend many compliments to an author with such a gift of words, as has Mary DeMuth.  But perhaps the best compliment I can give are the ones found most unexpected in this very real, very raw memoir.

1)   Thin Places made me feel understood. To feel personally understood by a book is one of the most powerful things a reader can take away, in any literary work.  But to feel personally understood when you, the reader, share almost none of the author’s physical experiences, is quite a masterful feat.  I have not walked even close to a mile in Mary DeMuth’s shoes.  Yet I found myself in nearly every word of her book.  To be able to accomplish resonation within a reader of vastly different life experiences is true artistry.

2)   Thin Places made me want to talk to God. I can remember the specific pull I felt one night as I was reading, well after dark.  Denying my desire to continue devouring its pages, I shut the book and turned off the light.  I was overwhelmed by my desire to communicate with God, so much so that it gripped me.  My heart was full of the remembrance of all He is…the life He brings…the restoration He offers.  Mary’s story took me to the very feet of Jesus.  I can think of no higher purpose in a book than this.

Thin Places is not just a story of hope…it’s a story of healing.  It’s not just a story of perseverance…it’s a story of passion.  It’s a story about what happens when a person gives the broken pieces of their life over to Jesus — ready, willing and able to mold it into something beautiful.   My friend, Mary DeMuth, is living proof of that.

I am challenged by the authenticity Thin Places offers.  I am moved by its ability to tell the truth without sounding preachy.  I am motivated to share it with those who don’t mind being changed by its message.

I am such a person.

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