Also by this author: His Testimonies, My Heritage: Women of Color on the Word of God
Published by Good Book Company on October 1, 2021
Genres: Non-Fiction, Christian Life, Memoir
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Blair Linne's personal story of growing up without a father at home reflects the experiences of millions. She weaves her personal story with thoughtful theological reflection, inviting readers to learn from God what father really means and to trust him, even if they feel their earthly father has let them down.
This book will help readers to shift their eyes from what they do not have in their earthly fathers (who, whether present or absent, loving or the opposite, can never be perfect) to what they do have in their eternal Father, who will never disappoint, reject or abandon them.
Readers will see that the gospel promises not just forgiveness but also a place in God's family, experienced in a local church, where they can enjoy the fullness of his fatherly joy, care, wisdom, provision, protection and security.
Also includes a chapter by Blair's husband, the Christian hip-hop artist Shai, on his own story of fatherlessness and faith.
In this powerful memoir, Blair Linne writes about her experiences with fatherlessness, sharing about how deeply it impacted her to grow up without a dad in the home. As she writes about her childhood, teenage years, and adult life thus far, she shares about the deep, multifaceted impacts of her family situation, and she notes ways that her life fulfilled common statistical outcomes for fatherless children without her even knowing it at the time. She writes with compassion and care, never villainizing any of the adults in her life, but she gives readers an honest look at the struggles that she faced in the absence of a father who was there in the home, experienced life with her, and provided protections and supports that she didn’t even know how to name or ask for.
Linne acknowledges that as a child, she knew that some fathers were abusive or disengaged. Still, she longed for the kind of fatherhood she understood as an ideal, and she writes about the ways that she ultimately found that in God, despite the shortcomings of the men in her life. Although people often refer to God as someone’s heavenly father in a trite way intended to smooth over negative emotions, Linne gives readers a deep sense of how God met her in the midst of her pain, changed her understanding of what a father could be, and gave her the kind of love, belonging, and wholeness that she had always been looking for.
Finding My Father: How the Gospel Heals the Pain of Fatherlessness is a deeply moving memoir with unexpected twists and turns. I found it very affecting, and appreciate how well Linne wove social and theological reflections into her story, sharing information about the various, complicated causes of fatherlessness and about how the gospel transformed her experience. She also shares advice for other women and girls in her situation, and includes a chapter written by her husband, Shai Linne, to give a sense of the impact that his fatherless upbringing had on his life. Both husband and wife reflect on the process of breaking generational cycles in their own young family, and their reflections can encourage people in similar situations and help people from other family backgrounds better sympathize with the struggles that others face.