Review of Call me Worthy
Posted: 10 Jun 2022, 13:17
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Call me Worthy" by Dr Anne Worth.]
Anne Worth’s Call Me Worthy knows how to deliver an impactful autobiography with a spiritual message. The book chronicles Worth’s life up until now with a heavy emphasis on the role of the Christian faith in giving her life meaning. Her story at a glance is deeply depressing; the harrowing experiences that she recounts include childhood traumas, abusive relationships, familial suicide, back-alley abortions, multiple divorces, addiction, and terminal illness. The author has been through almost every negative scenario imaginable, and readers will undoubtedly see her situation as hopeless. And yet, the work is extremely uplifting— once she finds Jesus Christ in her later years, the transformative process that she undergoes bestows upon her a life worth living with purpose in spades. The book doubles as an engaging memoir a spiritual text that succeeds in its mission to spread the word about the power of Christ.
The biggest strength of the work is how well Worth makes readers sympathize with her plights. The range of struggles that Worth conveys immediately paints her as a figure that we can all relate to, and having someone’s story work as a stand-in for all audiences’ stories is a powerful thing. Even if you have not had a family member commit suicide, you have been in a less-than-stellar relationship, and even if every relationship you have been in has been perfect, you have dealt with some childhood trauma. For those events that readers have no common ground with, Worth does an excellent job of expressing the gravity of such a situation; my most emotional point in the book was reading about her receiving a coat hanger abortion. The contrast of this lowest of lows with the unbelievable highs of her post-Christ career and community is one that is incredibly persuasive as an appeal for others to find God.
It is difficult to find flaws with Worth’s personal journey. It is honest and genuine, and I can detect no issues in how it is presented. Editorial mistakes are exceedingly rare. Events in the story are accompanied by real photographs that are not expected but are very welcome. Some may disagree with the book’s choice to use someone’s tragic upbringing as a sales pitch for Christianity, but omitting the religious components of the story would rob the memoir of its essence given the importance of the author’s faith in changing the direction of her life. As far as publishing spiritual journeys go, Worth’s account is sincere and significantly less preachy than it could have been.
This book is a great choice for anyone looking for a moving story about a real-life person overcoming overwhelming hardships. Christians seeking stories to reaffirm their trust in God’s power to uplift will definitely find it here, and Worth’s story is perfect as an example of faith’s transformational properties. For these reasons, I could see the book being popular as a talking point in a church or a Christian book club. Non-religious folks may be turned off by the Christian pretenses of the text’s presentation. Squeamish readers may also have issues with certain passages since serious, uncomfortable topics are intertwined with the author’s journey. If neither of these conditions apply to you, the book is an excellent selection in the autobiographical genre.
Overall, I give Call Me Worthy 4 out of 4 stars. Worth’s tale is an inspiring one, and though it did not cause me to convert to Christianity altogether, I could see how its impact could cause someone to turn to scripture for assistance in getting through their own adversities. The book strives in what it set out to do, and I can think of no better text for sharing a heartfelt, spiritually-driven story of self-improvement.
******
Call me Worthy
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Anne Worth’s Call Me Worthy knows how to deliver an impactful autobiography with a spiritual message. The book chronicles Worth’s life up until now with a heavy emphasis on the role of the Christian faith in giving her life meaning. Her story at a glance is deeply depressing; the harrowing experiences that she recounts include childhood traumas, abusive relationships, familial suicide, back-alley abortions, multiple divorces, addiction, and terminal illness. The author has been through almost every negative scenario imaginable, and readers will undoubtedly see her situation as hopeless. And yet, the work is extremely uplifting— once she finds Jesus Christ in her later years, the transformative process that she undergoes bestows upon her a life worth living with purpose in spades. The book doubles as an engaging memoir a spiritual text that succeeds in its mission to spread the word about the power of Christ.
The biggest strength of the work is how well Worth makes readers sympathize with her plights. The range of struggles that Worth conveys immediately paints her as a figure that we can all relate to, and having someone’s story work as a stand-in for all audiences’ stories is a powerful thing. Even if you have not had a family member commit suicide, you have been in a less-than-stellar relationship, and even if every relationship you have been in has been perfect, you have dealt with some childhood trauma. For those events that readers have no common ground with, Worth does an excellent job of expressing the gravity of such a situation; my most emotional point in the book was reading about her receiving a coat hanger abortion. The contrast of this lowest of lows with the unbelievable highs of her post-Christ career and community is one that is incredibly persuasive as an appeal for others to find God.
It is difficult to find flaws with Worth’s personal journey. It is honest and genuine, and I can detect no issues in how it is presented. Editorial mistakes are exceedingly rare. Events in the story are accompanied by real photographs that are not expected but are very welcome. Some may disagree with the book’s choice to use someone’s tragic upbringing as a sales pitch for Christianity, but omitting the religious components of the story would rob the memoir of its essence given the importance of the author’s faith in changing the direction of her life. As far as publishing spiritual journeys go, Worth’s account is sincere and significantly less preachy than it could have been.
This book is a great choice for anyone looking for a moving story about a real-life person overcoming overwhelming hardships. Christians seeking stories to reaffirm their trust in God’s power to uplift will definitely find it here, and Worth’s story is perfect as an example of faith’s transformational properties. For these reasons, I could see the book being popular as a talking point in a church or a Christian book club. Non-religious folks may be turned off by the Christian pretenses of the text’s presentation. Squeamish readers may also have issues with certain passages since serious, uncomfortable topics are intertwined with the author’s journey. If neither of these conditions apply to you, the book is an excellent selection in the autobiographical genre.
Overall, I give Call Me Worthy 4 out of 4 stars. Worth’s tale is an inspiring one, and though it did not cause me to convert to Christianity altogether, I could see how its impact could cause someone to turn to scripture for assistance in getting through their own adversities. The book strives in what it set out to do, and I can think of no better text for sharing a heartfelt, spiritually-driven story of self-improvement.
******
Call me Worthy
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon