On a blog I follow regularly, several of the comments referenced Ragged Hope: Surviving the Fallout of Other People’s Choices by Cynthia Ruchti. Since that’s the very topic our family is dealing with just now, I zipped over to Amazon and purchased it for my Kindle.

Each chapter begins with a personal story from someone whose life was ripped apart through no fault of their own. The woman whose husband gambled away their life and embezzled to cover it up. The monogamous woman who contracted AIDS from her husband. The family who lost their home to arson. And many more. The author then follows the story with what she’s learned from that person’s journey, and finishes the chapter with questions for reflection and journaling.

I read the book in just a few hours and each story captivated me immediately. Ruchti is an excellent writer. This is the kind of book that could easily come across as preachy but Ruchti avoids that trap while making it look easy.

If your life has been disrupted by someone else’s action or if you know someone struggling in that situation, this book is an excellent resource. It won’t solve everything. Actually, it alone won’t solve anything, but it is one more tool in the hope chest of the sojourner.

I recommend it.

Do you have any books you recommend for someone on a journey of healing and forgiveness?