Girl at the End of the World
by Elizabeth Esther

About the book:

I was raised in a homegrown, fundamentalist Christian group—which is just a shorthand way of saying I’m classically trained in apocalyptic stockpiling, street preaching, and the King James Version of the Bible. I know hundreds of obscure nineteenth-century hymns by heart and have such razor sharp “modesty vision” that I can spot a miniskirt a mile away. 

Verily, verily I say unto thee, none of these highly specialized skills ever got me a job, but at least I’m all set for the end of the world. Selah.

A story of mind control, the Apocalypse, and modest attire.Elizabeth Esther grew up in love with Jesus but in fear of daily spankings (to “break her will”). Trained in her family-run church to confess sins real and imagined, she knew her parents loved her and God probably hated her. Not until she was grown and married did she find the courage to attempt the unthinkable. To leave. 

In her memoir, readers will recognize questions every believer faces:When is spiritual zeal a gift, and when is it a trap? What happens when a pastor holds unchecked sway over his followers? And how can we leave behind the harm inflicted in the name of God without losing God in the process? 

By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Girl at the End of the World is a story of the lingering effects of spiritual abuse and the growing hope that God can still be good when His people fail.

Oh, this book. Where do I even begin? This book is so overwhelmingly sad but yet so interesting I couldn’t put it down. It is difficult to journey with someone as she shares intimate details from her life. Even though it is difficult, this book is definitely worth reading.

It seems strange when I say I enjoyed reading this book, as Elizabeth’s life in The Assembly {the cult that has her in its grip throughout her young life} seems anything but enjoyable. But the writing itself feels so effortless, so graceful, and is seasoned with enough humor and wisdom that reading it is indeed a treat.

This book includes daily “required” spankings from age 6 months upward.  Basically systematic abuse of children, including the tempting of infants with candy and subsequent spankings to “train” them like dogs.  The sad truth, as I quickly realized, is that Elizabeth is not exaggerating in the least when she talks about the fact that her childhood and young adulthood were spent deep inside a cult.

I am going to be honest, there are some “colorful” words in the book.  And I was a bit taken aback by the use of some of them in a Christian book.  But as I was reading it, I kept thinking how it was real, honest and not sugar-coated even in the language.  That’s what makes the book so relateable.

Her story is raw. Her story is painful. Her story is horrible. But her story is also beautiful and encouraging in the best ways, and you don’t need to have been raised in a cult to relate to Elizabeth’s trials and triumphs.  I would absolutely recommend this book!

WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided this book to me for free in exchange for this honest review as part of their Blogging for Books program.

Laura Sobiech tells the amazing story of how God used her son’s battle with cancer to touch the lives of millions.

“Okay, Lord, you can have him. But if he must die, I want it to be for something big. I want someone’s life to be changed forever.”

This is what Laura Sobeich prayed when she found out her seventeen-year-old son had only one year to live. With this desperate prayer, she released her son to God’s will.

At that point, Zach Sobiech was just another teenager battling cancer. When his mother told him to think about writing good-bye letters to family and friends, he decided instead to write songs. One of them, “Clouds,” captured hearts and changed not one life but millions, making him an international sensation.

But Zach’s story is not just about music. It’s a testament to what can happen when you live as if each day might be your last. It’s a story about the human spirit. It’s about how God used a dying boy from a small town in Minnesota to touch the hearts of millions—including top executives in the music industry, major music artists, news anchors, talk show hosts, actors, priests and pastors, and school children across the globe.

Zach once said, “I want to be known as the kid who went down fighting, and didn’t really lose.” Fly a Little Higher is about how God used Zach to do something big.

Last year, the video below was circling on Facebook.  The title caught my eye, and I clicked on it.  What followed was the most amazing and brave yet saddest thing I’ve ever watched.  I’ve watched it 3 times, each time crying the entire way through.

Zach Sobiech, at the age of 14, found out he had a rare form of terminal cancer. So he became a rock star, and millions of people got to see his music before he passed away on May 20, 2013.  While he was sick, his mother kept a journal which eventually turned a book. 

This story is real.  What their family went through is absolutely heartbreaking, and I don’t want my review to take away from that.  Don’t let my crybaby-ness deter you from buying this book.  They are amazing people with quite a story to tell.

This book was provided to me free of charge by Book Look in return for my honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

About the book:

A cookbook and backyard gardening and homesteading guide for women who want to grow food efficiently, cook seasonal recipes, or even try foraging, camping, and living off the land.

Self-sufficiency is the ultimate girl power

Georgia Pellegrini, outdoor adventurer and chef, helps you roll up your sleeves and tap into your pioneer spirit. Grow a small-space garden and preserve a little deliciousness for the cold months; assemble the makings of a self-sufficient pantry; learn to navigate without a compass for your next camping trip; or even forage for plants that give you energy.
Whether you’re a full-time homesteader, a weekend farmer’s market devoté, or anyone looking to do more by hand, this overflowing resource will help you hone new skills in the kitchen, garden, and great outdoors. It includes:
· More than 100 recipes for garden-to-table dishes, preserves, and cured foods
· Small-space gardening advice on building a raised bed, choosing what to grow, and saving seeds
· DIY projects, such as Mason jar lanterns and homemade notecards
· Superwoman skills like assembling a 48- hour survival toolkit in an Altoids tin

Packed with beautiful photographs and illustrations, Modern Pioneering proves that becoming more self-sufficient not only means being empowered, but also having a lot more fun.

So, I may have squealed a bit with delight when I saw this book available.  I mean, hello, I’m all trying-my-best-to-homestead over here.  We’ve even recently added chickens to our family (I know, we are super stoked too).  Well, not quite yet, they’ll be here next week.  And when I saw this book, clicked on it and read the description, it was like fate.  This book HAD to have been written just for me.

This book contains everything, seriously, from making your own butter to curing your own bacon.  Who would have ever thought of preserving lemons in salt?  Not this girl.  And honestly, who knew you could eat marigolds?  Yep, not me.

Half of the book is made up of recipes. These are combined with chapters about the garden, the home, the wild and the rest. Mixed in are tips and tricks for almost any situation. Ever wondered how to be your own compass if lost in the woods? Or how to start a fire without matches? Yep, this book contains that as well. She even teaches readers how to pick a lock.

If you are a homesteader, gardener or consider yourself a modern pioneer you need this book on your shelf.  I can see this being used as a resource in this home time after time.

WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided this book to me for free in exchange for this honest review as part of their Blogging for Books program.