A New Name (Reviews of the Books I'm Giving Away 3)

Emma Scrivener has written the best testimony book I've ever read. Now, you might be tempted to pass over A New Name because of the word anorexia in the subtitle. But don't. Yes, it is a book about anorexia; but at the same time it isn't.

And Emma Scrivener can write. This book will grip you. You'll laugh. And you'll cry. My sister came to visit last summer, and ended up spending two days glued to this book. It's a compelling story, a moving story, and ultimately it's a story that glorifies Christ. And that's why it's the best testimony book I've read. Emma doesn't glorify herself (far from it), and she doesn't glorify anorexia. But she does glorify Jesus. And she does so in a real way. The danger with testimonies (as I mentioned yesterday) is that they can easily fall into a pattern something like this: everything was terrible (but really exciting!), then Jesus, now everything's wonderful. (Now, of course, that's to overly simplify, but you can probably see what I mean.) Emma doesn't do that. She paints a real picture of the consequences of her anorexia, and doesn't glamorize or glorify it in any way. And she makes it clear that the turning point in her story wasn't the puff of a magic wand that suddenly made everything hunky-dory. That's what I mean when I say she tells her story in a real way.

Emma's book is honest, and Emma's book is full of grace. The subtitle is 'Grace and Healing for Anorexia', and, true to its title, this is very much a story of grace, the grace of Jesus.

So if you're looking for a hope-filled, Christ-filled, book to do with eating disorders, then read this book. And even if a book on eating disorders is the last thing on your mind, read this book. For in this beautiful book you'll find, not triumphalism, but the reality of a life of faith and grace.

And if you want the copy I'm giving away, find me on the Sunday night of Ablaze, after the evening service, when I'll give it to the first person who asks.

By the way, Emma also blogs at A New Name.