[.uk] Startling Beauty: My Journey From Rape to Restoration (ISBN 0781440289)

Startling Beauty:
Heather Gemmen was raped at knifepoint in her own home while her two young sons slept down the hall. The subject matter is real and not sugar-coated. We feel her pain and read her thoughts as she shares honestly and openly the struggles faced by herself, her family, and friends, and the agony surrounding each day and every decision. After I read the book, I stood in the shower and sobbed. I wept for Heather, for myself, and the others who have endured this torment. Rape is violent, degrading, and demoralizing. Startling Beauty is proof that God can heal, restore, and turn suffering into a thing of beauty. Thank you Heather.

Startled Reading:
Gut-wrenching honest writing rivets you to every page of this book. Heather opens the wounds of her struggles and lets you peer into the wrestlings of Christians dealing with the implications when their faith meets up against tragic events. For writers: This book is the perfect example of "show, not tell." For anybody who desires to read an exceptional book about an exceptional woman, this is a must read.

More than you can imagine:
Heather Gemmen's book, Startling Beauty (my journey from rape to restoration), is so much more, if you can image that, than the title infers or conveys. Heather is able to convey transparent insights into our struggles as Christians and flesh and blood human beings. I don't think she even knows she's doing it, but I think she could re-titled her book "Struggling with our humanity as you follow Him". When you read her book, you feel like you're sitting with a dear friend and she's sharing her heart, without hesitation and of course it's a true blessing. You're gonna fall in love with Heather and her hubby and they're likely to become subtle heroes in your Christian quest. When she leaves you palpable quotes like "Integrity is so much more than claiming noble ethics. It is more than holding passionate conviction. Integrity is living out expressed beliefs. It is making choices that accurately reflect core values.", you know you're dealing with someone special. Bless yourself, take the time to read this book, it will touch your heart in places that need touching.

Inspirational!:
I bought this book after hearing Heather interviewed on a radio programme. She sounded so friendly, serene and content with her life. If I hadn't heard her before I read the book I might have thought she was 'too good to be true' because in the book she comes over as a unbelievably forgiving and accepting of God's will. However this really IS a story of hope and positivity and shows that if you have a positive nature and strive to put your trust in God (do what your instincts feel are right and good)then you can overcome anything. Like Heather I truly believe God never gives us anything we aren't equipped to cope with. A book that I didn't put down until I'd finished it!

Another page turner from Heather Gemmen:
I find I'm never disappointed when I open a book written by Heather Gemmen. Regardless of the topic, her books inspire me to read the entire work in one sitting so I can find out how each ends. In this case, I admire the way Heather opens herself and describes not just the very personal attack she experienced, but she also shares the details of her life surrounding that time. She shares the effects on her marriage, on her views on abortion, and racism. Oh, that I could express my own feelings half so well as Heather does that I could have readers needing to know what will happen on the next page. I spent the majority of the book cheering for all of the characters and then reminding myself that they were all real life characters, not fictional. I highly recommend this title, but be prepared to set aside a few hours to read the entire story once you start because you'll get caught up in it as I did. What an encouragement to know that God used Heather and her difficult life experiences in such remarkable ways! She definitely has experienced the abundant life promised to all believers, and more importantly, she comes out victorious through her faith. Thanks, Heather, for another great read!