Book Review:Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott

From the bestselling author of Operating Instructions and Bird by Birdcomes a chronicle of faith and spirituality that is at once tough, personal, affectionate, wise and very funny. With an exuberant mix of passion, insight, and humor, Anne Lamott takes us on a journey through her often troubled past to illuminate her devout but quirky walk of faith. In a narrative spiced with stories and scripture, with diatribes, laughter, and tears, Lamott tells how, against all odds, she came to believe in God and then, even more miraculously, in herself. She shows us the myriad ways in which this sustains and guides her, shining the light of faith on the darkest part of ordinary life and exposing surprising pockets of meaning and hope. Whether writing about her family or her dreadlocks, sick children or old friends, the most religious women of her church or the men she's dated, Lamott reveals the hard-won wisdom gathered along her path to connectedness and liberation.

All of last year my faith took a very serious nosedive. I am trying to build it back up to where it was but I was not in the mood for a “preachy” book and I LOVED her book Bird by Bird so I decided to pick this book up.

When you thinks about Christian writers most of the time we conjure up someone who has never had any problems and is very into the rules. Traveling Mercies is a breath of fresh air in the Christian book industry. Anne Lamott talks about overcoming her drug and drinking issues. She does not hold back in any way and you never get the feeling that she has such holiness that you feel like throwing the book across the wall and that you can’t possibly meet that level.

She also talks about getting pregnant and her son and about being a mother. I do not have kids but I love her honesty about the things she does and the mistakes she makes. It seems that I am surrounded by perfect mothers and I know if I ever had a kid I would probably lose my cool more often than not. To read about this kind of mother and to know her kid turned out OK gives me hope.

While reading this book I wondered why I couldn’t be exposed to some of the more liberal religious people that she is. I grew up in Eastern Ky and all my life it has been who can follow the rules in the bible the best. Anne Lamott is surrounded by people that seem to GET life in this fallen world.

Over all I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who feels more like a sinner than a saint.