Raw Faith

"Raw Faith: Following the Thread," a literary memoir, is a rare and beautiful book. Not only is the book well crafted, with an intimate style and no wasted words, but like her documentary film of the same name, the memoir is heartful and emotionally moving.

Marilyn writes about a universal longing-the longing for love and acceptance, the longing for home. The origin of her own angst is mother loss. Marilyn loses her mother at age 9 when her father snatches her and takes her to live with his parents in a small town in North Louisiana. She doesn't get reacquainted with her mother until she is 33, when her mother is dying of cancer. Having grown up with no real home, she looks for home in the arms of men, in schools and churches, and in marriage. These places serve as a temporary refuge, but for the most part, home eludes her. She is sustained throughout her journey by her faith and her understanding that she is held by something larger than herself. Her wandering teaches her at last that home is not a place, not even with people she loves and who love her, but is rather a condition of the spirit. Home is always available, as she puts it, "if I can quiet my scared heart."

Ours is a culture of spiritual searchers - we all want meaning in our lives, and we all want love. Marilyn's deeply compassionate book invites readers into her search, giving them courage and inspiration as they try to understand their own needs and longings. Raw Faith: Following the Thread is a book of warmth and humanity, full of compelling characters and experiences that bring both laughter and tears, a book that readers will pass on to a good friend, saying, "You have to read this!"