Awake

I scurried over to my local bookstore the morning of my flight to Vegas. I knew I'd finish The Academy and I needed to queue up a stellar book to keep me company on the cross-country flight. Awake was a fabulous choice.

I flew through this recent memoir by Jen Hatmaker. Prior to this book's press, I'd never heard of Hatmaker. But she already had quite the following before releasing her story. She's an author and public figure in the Southern Baptist community. She's a mom and divorcee. Her book's premise is that she wakes in the middle of the night to hear her husband sending a voice memo to another woman, instantly shattering decades of marriage.

Throughout the book Hatmaker chronicles her other awakenings. She shares insights and wisdom gained from a full life. Hatmaker writes about memories from childhood, interspersed with recollections from her recent life upheaval. I loved her writing and her anecdotes.

The book wasn't what I expected. I had anticipated reading the story of a marriage crumbling: a beginning, middle and end. Hatmaker doesn't get into her marriage details, or into family particulars much at all. I understand her desire for a certain degree of privacy. She shares so many beautiful realizations, but as a reader I craved more showing and less telling. I'd love to hear about the nitty gritty, not just about the resulting epiphanies.

Hatmaker did touch on many themes I also focus on in my personal writing: mainly, coming home to oneself. I related to her thoughts on this deeply. She shares practical advice in her vignettes as well. I'm always open to guidance from people in the know. And Hatmaker knows her stuff.  

Her memoir style may be a bit untraditional, and that's fitting for Hatmaker. She is a woman who has stepped away from tradition, and found her own path. I'm glad to be privy to her intel.

AES