A poignant, posthumously published collection of blog posts from Kara's site Mundane Faithfulness, chronicling her battle with terminal breast cancer. Diagnosed at 38, Kara, a pastor's wife and mother of four, passed away at 39, leaving behind raw, faith-infused reflections arranged in four "acts" that trace her journey from initial shock to metastatic spread and eventual surrender.
Through entries like "Grace Dress" and "Dear Cancer," Kara transforms suffering into a testament of grace, viewing cancer as a "gift" that sharpens her appreciation for everyday beauty, family, and God's sovereignty. Her writing blends vulnerability—detailing chemo's toll, fears for her children, and marital strains—with profound hope, emphasizing living fully in the present and finding joy amid pain.
This book shines in its authentic voice, blending humor, poetry, and Scripture to inspire readers facing hardship. While deeply Christian, its universal themes of love, loss, and resilience resonate broadly. A moving read for those seeking encouragement in adversity, it reminds us that beauty persists even in brokenness. Highly recommended for faith-based audiences.

This book is a beautiful but heartbreaking collection of Kara’s writings. Kara was beautifully vulnerable and touched more people than she even knew. She left a legacy of what it is to love Jesus and others well.

Listened to this on audio. Narrator much better than the first book. This is a collection of her blog posts, and really gives a good look into Kara's heart, and can speak to anyone with cancer and/or dealing with a friend or family member with cancer. Such a beautiful picture of her faith and a quite real walk through her life.

Boring. I don't want my books to be that philosophical. I am looking for the wisdom in the everyday life, something I can actually apply, not disect and turn into a paper. Nice touch with the interviews, but I wish those were the focus of the book.

eautiful story of a life well lived, a read that will make you cry, but also bring beauty and joy to your life as you appreciate how to celebrate life in any circumstances. From a woman who knew she was dying and chose well the important things in her long goodbye.

A very moving book about a woman dying with grace. She saw God's grace and mercy everywhere. Such an inspiring story. I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley, Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

And It Was Beautiful by Kara Tippetts, is an amazing journey of faith of a young wife and mother as she faces her death from cancer. This is such a heart-wrenching and yet a wonderfully inspirational collection of Kara's writings, taken from her blog--Mundane Faithfulness. She tells readers she is "just one broken woman looking for grace. I'm one needy heart in need of forgiveness. I'm just like everyone else, fighting to see grace, to live gently, to walk in integrity." She opened her heart and spoke with honesty and reality, sharing the lessons she was learning and those she was trying to teach her children during these stressful last months of her life. She found joy and grace in the everyday happenings of life. She found strength as she waited at the feet of One who gives love. This is a book for those going through difficult times. It is also a book for those who want to learn about trust, about God's refining power, about a grace that is sufficient and about learning how life's challenges can be a beautiful gift from a God who is more than enough.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a review and the opinions are my own.