The Most Beautiful Disaster: How God Makes Miracles Out of Our Mistakes

Carpenter, cofounder of Redemption Church in Greenville, S.C., debuts with an eloquent account of her path to recovery and redemption following sexual abuse. At 15, Carpenter was sexually abused by a boy she trusted. She responded by assuming she’d done something to deserve it and “internalized the lie” that she was worthless. Carpenter describes learning to “put on a mask” of happy normalcy by “hiding what was really going on inside and showing the world what I thought it wanted to see,” how this pressure led to a double life and multiple affairs, and the relief of her confession to her husband and decision to seek help. She discusses how to identify warning signs of buried trauma, suggests seeking help through counseling, and assures those who are struggling that God loves them in their brokenness. While she acknowledges there is no quick-fix, she emphasizes the need to be honest with oneself, using biblical tales to make her points. Christian readers longing to overcome destructive patterns will be drawn to Carpenter’s encouraging account. (May)