Falling Free
Rescued from the Life I Always Wanted
- Christian Living
- Publisher: Nelson Books (Thomas Nelson)
- Published: 2016
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Publisher's Description
“Shannan’s story feels at once familiar and spectacular, ordinary and exceptional. You will discover that at the same time her words make you squirm, you will wish you lived next door to her. You will want her wisdom and you will want her pickles.” —Jen Hatmaker (from the foreword) Shannan Martin had the perfect life: a cute farmhouse on six rambling acres, a loving husband, three adorable kids, money, friends, a close-knit church—a safe, happy existence. But when the bottom dropped out through a series of shocking changes and ordinary inconveniences, the Martins followed God’s call to something radically different: a small house on the other side of the urban tracks, a shoestring income, a challenged public school, and the harshness of a county jail (where her husband is now chaplain). And yet the family’s plunge from “safety” was the best thing that could have happened to them. Falling Free charts their pilgrimage from the self-focused wisdom of the world to the topsy-turvy life of God’s more being found in less. Martin’s practical, sweetly subversive book invites us to rethink assumptions about faith and the good life, push past insecurity and fear, and look beyond comfortable, middle-class Christianity toward a deeper, richer, and ultimately more fulfilling life.
Endorsements (8)
“Be prepared to have your atrophied, tired notion of God propelled into a new and spacious place. With humor, grace, and not a little jostling of your comfort zone, Shannan Martin will introduce you to the mess at the margins. ‘See Jesus in the lowly place,’ St. Ignatius writes. You will see Him, in this book, as never before. We are invited here to stare at our ‘shared ruin,’ so that we can walk away, astounded that we belong to each other.”
“I love this book! My wish is for us all to live as passionately, humbly, and lovingly as the Martins do!”
“Engaging, funny, and convicting. Shannan and her family woke up from the American Dream to find the upside-down reality of God better and more beautiful than anything they’d known before. This book shook up my soul and invited me into the adventure of taking Jesus at his word.”
“Shannan Martin takes what is regular, ordinary, and small about our story and carries it through the lens of God’s invisible kingdom, reminding us that the more we often long for might actually be found in less. She can turn a phrase into something so surprising, so stunning, it will both catch your breath and break your heart. Shannan Martin Martin is one of my favorite writers and Falling Free is an exquisite work.”
“Shannan Martin is quickly becoming one of my favorite people. Not just because of what she writes but because of who she is. That said, Falling Free is not only convicting and challenging, it’s a refreshing look into her story where we will no doubt find a piece of our own story. It’s a book that will lead you to encouragement and freedom by following God whenever to the wherever.”
“Read this book, if you dare. Through beautiful prose and glorious storytelling, Shannan has laid out the gospel for us. You cannot read this and walk away as if nothing happened. The Spirit of God is crackling with transformative power in these pages. Open this book. It will open your heart and unlock the wonderful mystery of living the gospel in all of its upside down-ness.”
“Shannan is a rare and beautiful soul. The way she has moved through pain without bitterness, and lives with deep joy is an inspiration. Falling Free is her honest story—and it shows us that trust can be terrifying, hope can hurt, and love can set you free.”
Dr. John Sowers
“Falling Free answers the question we all have when we sense God is asking us to give up our dreams: ‘Will I be okay?’ The answer is a resounding ‘YES!’ In fact, we’ll be freer and more fulfilled. “Shannan, through the words in these pages and in the way she lives out her life, pushes me to betterment. The best thing? She never heaps on the guilt in the process. She just lives her life and tells her story beautifully, and in doing so, she calls us all out of our comfort zones and asks us to examine our choices: Am I living to be comfortable? Or am I willing to make a difference in an ordinary but important way? I’m so grateful for her words.”
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