Book Review: White Knuckle Love

When you live and work in a geographic area, and in the same industry (or in my case, ministry) for a few decades, you become overly familiar with the realities of your profession and your work environment. Sometimes you hear of a fellow traveler in the same line of work, but due to timing and circumstance, your paths never cross. This is the challenge I face in reviewing April’s book; we worked in many of the same places, even preached and performed music in some of the same worship spaces. We know many of the same leaders in our field. And like me, April has worked as a professional chaplain. I knew about April, but never had occasion to meet her personally. I never heard “her side” of the story.

If you haven’t met her either, you will, for White Knuckle Love is her story. Stace shares a story of her perseverance through doubts and challenges in her ministry, marriage, and parenting. She gained and lost a high-profile ministry position, divorced, and was forced into hospital chaplaincy to support herself and her son. In the process of rebuilding her life, she discovers again her sense of self and her belovedness in God’s eyes. How does she get there? You need to read her words to hear her retelling of her story.

I will leave the details of her journey’s twists and turns for you to discover. However, I would note with a smile that, like many professional chaplains, she finds Love at the heart of it all. And that’s worth holding onto, regardless of the cost. As my college friend and Texas singer-songwriter Billy Crockett says, “Lord, it’s just like you — putting Love at The Bottom of Life.”

So may it always be!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”