Permission to Speak Freely

I found this book refreshingly unconventional. Anne Jackson posted the question, "What is one thing you feel you can't say in the church?" on her blog and received hundreds of responses. This hit a nerve. People submitted concerns about their personal life, about trusting in God, about deep hurts that the church seems unable to respond to. Through prose, poetry, and art, Anne Jackson chronicles her own journey beginning with disillusionment of church, leading to undisciplined living, then to abuse at the hand of a youth pastor, and finally to a voyage of healing with supportive friends and a gracious, loving God.

I enjoyed the candid nature with which Ann dealt with her issues. I enjoyed the the visual art and poetry that accompanied the prose, although they seemed to be somewhat estranged from the prose. Ann's writing style is more conversational, instead of highly polished, which helps you enter in more with her story, adding a personal connection. Ann's question intrigued me, and I wish there had been more thought put into her book about the question, rather than focusing solely on her own story. Still, in telling her story, we can start to glimpse areas in our own lives where this question is relevant.

Book has been provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available now at your favourite bookseller.