Stone Crossings: A Book Review

One of the blogs I have in my reader is Seedlings in Stone by L. L. Barkat. Her posts are usually contemplative or thought-provoking and filled with sensory details. L. L. has a very evocative style that I enjoy, so about a month ago, I purchased her book Stone Crossings: Finding Grace in Hard and Hidden Places.

The book has twenty chapters, and in each one L. L. talks about something in her own life and then explores a more abstract truth related to her experience. For example, she recounts a childhood humiliation and goes on to discuss shame and being healed from it. She uses an argument with her husband to launch a discussion of forgiveness that goes on to describe the process of reconciling with her father. In some chapters, L. L. recounts incidents of heartbreaking difficulties or abuse, while in others she explores her own weaknesses with a searing honesty. In every chapter, she combines intellectual exploration with a graceful use of Bible verses, always to the point but not so didactic that they feel preachy.

If you are interested in reading one women's experience of the ways in which faith and personal growth intersect, I recommend this book.