Scan barcode
A review by tiffyb
Sin Bravely: A Memoir of Spiritual Disobedience by Maggie Rowe
4.0
Maggie’s obsession with being safe and getting everything right ends in a mental break - because when it comes to staying out of hell, the answers are not as clear as, say, brushing your teeth for two minutes every day to avoid cavities. Although there are people who want to help Maggie, seemingly no one is equipped with the right answers and no one understands the intensity of her fears. This book presents a world full of people who are astoundingly simple in their faith and have never probed into the difficult portions of the Bible. I found myself frustrated throughout this entire book, shocked that no one took the time to help her and also that no one seemed to know the Bible well enough to have the discourse she so desperately needed.
A few more thoughts-
1) I think the characters in the rehab facility had to have been fiction, or at least partly fiction. There was such a broad array of characters with such defined quirks. Most Christian rehab centers have mostly adult men that struggle with substance abuse (vs both genders, all ages, with completely different problems).
2) I can’t help but feel that Maggie was not as forthcoming with her anxieties and panic as she felt she was. It seemed that NO ONE - parents, sister, boyfriend, counselors- even noticed.
3) Ultimately, I was disappointed with the answers she finally got. I SO much wanted her to find peace though actual biblical answers, since all her fears came from the Bible. As much as the Doctor did help her by giving vaguely biblical answers, it felt that his line of reasoning was more agnostic than not.
4) The climax and conclusion felt entirely tacked on- maybe even fake?? There were also a lot of storylines left hanging - I wanted to know if she got back with her boyfriend, if she went to church again, if she kept in touch with those from the facility, if she overcame the anxiety??
Lastly, I think the topic and handling of the topic makes this book only palatable to a small subset of people: specifically, evangelical Christians who are open minded or have themselves gone through a version of Maggie’s experience. Those who are not religious would likely never finish this book (they certainly couldn’t understand the bulk of the material), yet those who are religious enough to understand may feel very defensive and uncomfortable with these heavy topics. (Side note, she did not paint the evangelicals in a nasty, hateful light, but highlighted the seeming ignorance and innocence and bland kindness - which I appreciated, knowing she could have been very unkind, given the mental issues she suffered.)
Five stars for great writing and a story that drew me in and left me thinking about it for weeks! Three stars for the listed issues. Averages out at ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️. Have already recommended this book to a friend!
A few more thoughts-
1) I think the characters in the rehab facility had to have been fiction, or at least partly fiction. There was such a broad array of characters with such defined quirks. Most Christian rehab centers have mostly adult men that struggle with substance abuse (vs both genders, all ages, with completely different problems).
2) I can’t help but feel that Maggie was not as forthcoming with her anxieties and panic as she felt she was. It seemed that NO ONE - parents, sister, boyfriend, counselors- even noticed.
3) Ultimately, I was disappointed with the answers she finally got. I SO much wanted her to find peace though actual biblical answers, since all her fears came from the Bible. As much as the Doctor did help her by giving vaguely biblical answers, it felt that his line of reasoning was more agnostic than not.
4) The climax and conclusion felt entirely tacked on- maybe even fake?? There were also a lot of storylines left hanging - I wanted to know if she got back with her boyfriend, if she went to church again, if she kept in touch with those from the facility, if she overcame the anxiety??
Lastly, I think the topic and handling of the topic makes this book only palatable to a small subset of people: specifically, evangelical Christians who are open minded or have themselves gone through a version of Maggie’s experience. Those who are not religious would likely never finish this book (they certainly couldn’t understand the bulk of the material), yet those who are religious enough to understand may feel very defensive and uncomfortable with these heavy topics. (Side note, she did not paint the evangelicals in a nasty, hateful light, but highlighted the seeming ignorance and innocence and bland kindness - which I appreciated, knowing she could have been very unkind, given the mental issues she suffered.)
Five stars for great writing and a story that drew me in and left me thinking about it for weeks! Three stars for the listed issues. Averages out at ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️. Have already recommended this book to a friend!