cover image Endure: The Power of Spiritual Assets for Resilience to Trauma and Stress

Endure: The Power of Spiritual Assets for Resilience to Trauma and Stress

Daniel D. Maurer. Mount Curve (Ingram Spark, dist.), $17.95 trade paper (232p) ISBN 978-0-9973-2860-8

Former Lutheran pastor Maurer (Sobriety: A Graphic Novel), who is also a recovering addict and alcoholic, explores how people survive traumatic events by reporting and analyzing the stories of six survivors. He posits that “spiritual assets”—gratitude, acceptance, hope, faith, forgiveness, and love—contribute to the quality of resilience, and shows them at work. Substance abuse figures into a number of stories, as does mental illness. The most memorable tale is told by a Syrian refugee who is smuggled out of the country with his wife and daughter and taken in a boat across the Mediterranean Sea. Maurer has a gift for shaping the stories, which are presented in first person. His analysis—borrowing concepts drawn from theology, psychology, and addiction recovery—could be deeper; he notes he knows more about theology than psychology, and this shows in his writing. His pastoral insight is the book’s strength and will enhance its appeal to readers looking for stories of people who have come through the pain of substance abuse and mental illness to find health and peace in God. (Oct.)