Book Review
You’ll Get Through This
Hope and Help for Your Turbulent Times
by Max Lucado
HarperCollins Christian Publishing © 2013
I was supposed to love this book. There are 4 pages, of accolades at the beginning; everyone from Dave Ramsey to Mike Huckabee have wonderful things to say about this book. Twenty leaders know in churches across America love this book. Further, Max Lucado has quite a distinguished career in Christian non-fiction writing. Let’s also talk about the fact that he’s a Texan – Texans unite!
I am in the midst of turbulent times, and Max Lucado is there to provide guidance! This book leverages the story of Joseph in Genesis to help guide the readers to hope and provide them the help they seek. Each chapter furthers this story with modern stories that reiterate the lessons Joseph learned and the lessons he taught through his actions. I thought this would be a great book to give me guidance in my current turbulent times.
Oh, no. This was not a good fit for my personality.
For me, this book falls prey into a self-help stereotype. Lucado incorporates so many stories of trouble overcome by friends (or friends of friends). These stories are so heartbreaking and troublesome that it made my troubles feel weak and petty: Manhattan in the aftermath of 9/11, a POW in a Vietnamese prison, a soldier who almost burned to death fighting in the Afghan desert. Potentially it was due to feeling petty and small because my problems pale in comparison to the heroes fighting their distress in this book, but I also found Lucado’s tone to be somewhat condescending.
Instead of feeling hope, my feelings felt small and frivolous.
There are so many other Christian self-help books available. I would try something else to give you hope.
Perhaps try Your Best Destiny, by Wentley Phipps.
Not a Christian book, but The Path Made Clear by Oprah Winfrey is a good read as well.
So very disappointing that I was completely turned off by this book by such a distinguished Christian author, but there it is.