Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith

"There is not much truth being told in the world. There never was. This has proven to be a major disappointment to some of us." So begins Anne Lamott's GRACE (EVENTUALLY), her newest collection of truth-telling --- essays on faith, relationships, forgiveness, politics, aging and a smattering of other delightfully diverse topics. Readers will be happy to find here the same blunt brand of no-holds-barred writing that has made Lamott's voice distinctive in the literary world. As in PLAN B and TRAVELING MERCIES, some of the essays take a confessional turn. It's been two decades since Lamott quit hitting the bottle, and junk food binging has become her drug of choice. "I don't smoke or drink anymore, am too worried to gamble, too guilty to shoplift, and I have always hated clothes-shopping. So what choices did that leave?" Her narration of a furtive trip to the grocery store to buy three apple fritters, a pint of Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream, jalapeno "poppers," Mint Milano cookies and Sara Lee chocolate dipped cheesecake bits is as guilty as any drug addict's recounting of a last fix. "I prayed impatiently for patience, and to stop feeling disgusted by myself, and to believe for a few moments that God, just a bit busy with other suffering in the world, actually cared about one menopausal white woman on a binge." Out of it comes an important truth about her need for community, as well as the root of her binging: "I did discover an important clue --- that whenever I want to either binge or diet, it means that there is some part of me that is deeply afraid...all I could think to do was what every addict thinks of doing: kill the pain." Despite her trademark candidness, Lamott has mellowed in some ways. "I don't hate anyone right now, not even George W. Bush. This may seem an impossibility, but it is true, and indicates the presence of grace, or dementia, or both." Although her politics are not as angry as in PLAN B, this mellowing doesn't keep her from tackling some hot-button issues. Lamott is forthright about her pro-choice views, which she details in "The Born": "...as a Christian and a feminist, the most important message I can carry and fight for is the sacredness of each human life, and reproductive rights for all women are a crucial part of that." In another essay, "At Death's Window," she narrates her role in helping a terminally-ill friend die. This is particularly difficult though poignant territory --- like rubbernecking at a traffic accident --- and likely to generate the most discomfort among readers. Agree? Disagree? No matter how you feel about Lamott's choices, it's easy to identify with her messy spirituality, struggles with parenting a teenager, or frustration over the aging process. Anyone who has ever corralled a group of kids for Sunday School will find "Wailing Wall" required reading. Lamott frankly admits that she'd rather be with the adults. ("I needed the grown-up service so badly, the singing, the p

Annie Lamott is so compellingly human and honest. Her books on faith are a must read for anyone making any kind of faith based inquiry in their lives. I adore her and love her writing, she is a literary hero of mine (And, interestingly, neighbor, I always see her in the grocery store. One day I was joking with the check out girl when someone with Annie's voice and remarkable wit busted in on our conversation. I turned around to find her standing in line behind me, inserting herself into our inside joke...we all laughed until it hurt...I didn't have the courage to tell her she was my hero of course. I work as a Life Coach and have famous celebrity clients but turn to jello when I cross paths with a writer I admire...go figure). At any rate this is one of her best books and I highly recommend it.

Sorry for the short review but the best I can say about this book is I loved each and every essay. Anne Lamott continues to be one of my favorite authors and it is a pleasure to have witnessed her faith journey over the years of her writing. Pamela D. Blair, Author The Next Fifty Years: A Guide for Women at Mid-Life And Beyond

What I love about Anne's writing is she tackles a subject like faith (which oftentimes causes people to retreat to their corners and get ready to lash out at eachother) with such a gentle human touch that once can't help but feel Grace and graceful while reading the pages of this book. Anne's writing depicts that faith doesn't have to be something shouted on the roof top to be authentic, it can be something felt in one's heart, in interactions with friends, in the smallest and most minute details of our lives. Some might see these details as insignificant, but Anne knows otherwise. She uses examples of seemingly the most common human experiences as a glimpse into how she lives a life of grace and gratitude. I truly do not believe that you have to agree with everything Anne says in this book to enjoy it and garner great meaning from it. In fact, just reading her take on much of life will make you examine your own interactions with the 'little moments' of your life and feel appreciative for the choices you've made based on what you knew at the time. Some of it is heartbreaking, some of it hilarious. I particularly like her recount of a vacation with a wealthy couple who apparently were fascinated by their own wealth and thinness. We all know people like that. And in this book Anne lets us know we are not alone in raising our eyebrows at some of the more ridiculous things in life....in a graceful way of course!

Usually I take quite a while to read through books before I buy them. One exception is Anne Lamott's books. If she writes them, I'll read them, because she her writing is honest, caring, good story telling and lots of fun, even with the topics of grace and faith. She has the kind of writing that makes me wish I'd studied harder and knew all the words in the dictionary. (Not because she uses a lot of fancy, big words. Far from it. She just uses them so perfectly, so suited to what she is saying, so originally. I feel like the rest of us are amateurs with the English language and she is a pro.) Lamott doesn't let herself off the hook easily, nor does she softsoap life and its effects. But she does get it. This book will be a good read because it will make you think--and think better. In this work Lamott shares her life and friends and family and herself. She has child-like feelings and inspired thoughts. I love writing that surprises me with simplicity and originality. That's why I love her work. If you like this book another one of Lamott's earlier works, Bird by Bird, is an all time favorite of mine. She deals with how to become a writer. And she makes it seem possible--and like she's in your corner.