What an interesting book! I've heard Leslie Leyland Fields speak on podcasts in the past, and requested this book because of her passion for sharing her story and encouraging writers. I can't say that I am a writer but this book really encouraged me to consider why and how to share my story with others. It was like a crash course in creative nonfiction (memoirs). There were lots of great writing exercises/prompts in each chapter, and feedback and essays from her students. I put down this book inspired to try sharing my story through writing. I appreciated the spiritual depth to this book as well, and the author's consistent use of scripture to demonstrate how God shared stories through the Bible.

Great book! I am just sorry it took me so long to rate and review.

Thank you to Leslie Leyland Fields, Tyndale House, and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Write Your Faith-Based Story

I am a sucker for books about any type of writing, so when I saw this at a favorite book review site, I picked it up based on the title and the subtitle alone. I didn't realize that it was not just for anyone's self-help journey; that's the way the title and subtitle came across to me. I didn't realize it's strong Christian bent. If I had realized that it was so specific, I would not have chosen it. That said, I still read the book. If you are Christian and interested in writing your story based on your faith, you might find this book helpful and enlightening. I felt, though, that the author shared too much of her own stories and the stories of others she has worked with. I felt like she needed to focus more on what the reader should do rather than on herself and her students. As such, the reader might find it is not as helpful for them in helping to craft their faith-based story.

This book was EXCELLENT. if you are looking to write a memoir, this is the book for you. Honestly, if Leslie could write every book ever written that would be amazing. I found her writing engaging and beautifully written. She made me excited to turn every page. If you're a writer, seriously... just do yourself a huge favor and please buy this book. Amazing.

And what made this book even better for me was discovering in Chapter 1 that we went to the same rural NH high school!! Such a small world!

Thank you to the publisher and author for this complementary copy of this book!

This book is designed to help the reader write a creative nonfiction memoir, and it's very informative. The recommendations are practical and easy to follow and understand. The author reminds the reader that everyone has a story, and she encourages them to write it.

While there's a lot of information, the book isn't boring. It's engaging and even humorous at times. The author shares her own story and struggles to encourage the reader. Each chapter contains exercises to help the reader start writing. I haven't tried all the exercises yet, but I look forward to doing so.

If you're interested in writing a memoir, this would be a great book to check out.

A favorite quote:
"Writing is a form of attention, a form of prayer, a form of listening to God."

The reader will enjoy the intertwining of stories as examples, along with the author’s own story about learning why her story mattered. She uses this as he springboard to show the reader their story matters too.