The Longing in Me by Sheila Walsh

I have read a number of Sheila Walsh’s books, and this one struck me as the best of the bunch. Sheila draws wonderful parallels between her life and that of David, both in triumph and in trial, and she fills in some blanks a reader may not even have realized were missing, dating back 20+ years. For the first time, she talks about some of the foundational reasons for her psychiatric hospitalization and reveals some of the circumstances of her life that she has never mentioned publically. Sheila also talks about more recent events that were implied but not revealed during her talks at Women of Faith. These two areas of revelation really bring Sheila’s life into focus for the reader, and they help readers know they are not alone in facing great, and even current, trials. Sheila tells how the longings in us for, among other things, protection, control, the past, and happiness all indicate a deep longing for God, and she talks about how each of these longings are met in God. This is Sheila’s most open and honest book. It is impossible not to identify with her when she talks about the longings in us. This is a book to revisit repeatedly for the encouragement it offers. The author did an outstanding job of weaving stories together with Scripture to offer encouragement. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.

Where the Light Gets In by Kimberly Williams-Paisley

The author’s mother was diagnosed in 2005 with a less-common form of dementia that results primarily in language loss. This book is the story of the author, her parents and two siblings through the still-ongoing battle to support Linda, who is now living in an assisted facility. The journey has been excruciating, changing the relationships of everyone with Linda. Kimberly Williams-Paisley writes with great honesty into the changes she experienced, grieving her hopes and expectations of Old Mom and learning to not just live with but join and celebrate New Mom. It has been anything but easy every step of the way. The book is well written; the author is articulate and insightful, a combination of traits that allows the reader to easily understand and sympathize with the family’s journey. She is also gracious and kind. The author is a well-known actress, but that is a tangential fact in the book’s approach. This book would be well worth reading no matter the author. I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my review.