A Better Life: Slowing Down to Get Ahead

Smith, founder of Better Life Bags, a Detroit company that recruits employees from low-employment communities, debuts with a marvelous ode to grace and empathy. When Smith first moved into Hamtramck, Mich., she struggled to find her place, doubting if she could ever feel at home there. But she learned to “stand down” and wait for God’s direction even when her inner turmoil demanded that she take action: “I’ve realized through this waltz of moving and swaying and standing that God was then—and is today—orchestrating a wonderful and beautiful and amazing path to my dreams and desires.” Smith recounts how her business started as an Etsy shop selling custom handbags and, as it grew, she made it a point to hire women of different faiths, backgrounds, and circumstances. Drawing from the lessons she has learned, she emphasizes the importance of small beginnings on effecting change at a larger scale and explains that it is not necessary to know the end results before taking the first step. She reminds readers that God has a plan for their lives that doesn’t require striving or hustling. This uplifting memoir will encourage Christian readers to slow down and appreciate life in the moment. (May)