I am so grateful for the positive reviews of my book, Embracing
the Gray: A Wing, A Prayer, and A Doubter’s Resolve, that continue to be posted on Amazon.com…
Hollingsworth pulls no
punches here. This is real, tough, faith in the trenches. The chapters dealing
with family loss are heart-breaking and yet ultimately hopeful and full of
grace and appreciation. One chapter (about a trans-Atlantic flight from Hell)
had me laughing out loud, covering my mouth due to shock, the way I do when I
read The Onion or humorist Dave
Barry! I read the book in less than a week. For comparison's sake, my wife and
I are still trying to get through The
Shack after two and a half years. Get Embracing
the Gray.
-C.H.
Laugh, cry, think. Embracing
the Gray is fascinating. Mark A. Hollingsworth writes of his challenging
life growing up in an era of great social change during which he is subject to
even more scrutiny as a preacher's son. Added to that, his family carries extra
burdens from multi-generational family problems with substance abuse. Despite
this triple whammy (or maybe because of it) Mark's amazing life evolves as one
of great joy, purpose and courage while questing for spiritual answers. I
wanted to put this book down but I couldn't. This is a must read for anyone who
admires books that cut thru BS.
-K.C.
-K.C.
You may not recognize
the name Mark Hollingsworth, but you’ve probably heard him on the radio, read
an article he’s written, been a fan of a band he managed or at least heard of
his employer, Compassion International.
Embracing the Gray is a beautiful journey of
doubt, music, reality, mission and faith…or a lack thereof. Through short
stories from his work, confessing his renouncement of Christianity in college,
destruction and restoration in his family, returning to faith, occasional looks
at the every day … they are journeys and questions that I think we all need to
consider if we really want to make our beliefs our own.
Walking through the
gentle death of his father truly moved my spirit. I’m realizing that I’m not
good at aging, and as I see my parents getting older I am forced to recognize
how our relationship is starting to change. For Mark, the true realization his
father was slipping was by beating him in checkers. For me, it involves
deciphering recipes in the kitchen. It was comforting to look into not only
what might be ahead, but to know that I won’t be navigating that road alone.
Out of the collection,
the stories that truly touched me were his interactions with some of the least
of these: a Kenyan girl named Mercy, a woman who broke rocks into gravel in
India, children in Haiti who aren’t expected to survive so they have no names,
the angel that showed up on Mark’s doorstep…all unexpected faces where grace is
found. Mark’s narrative is descriptive, yet open so I can remember the
people I’ve encountered over my own journey.
The beauty of a
well-written memoir is realizing all of our journeys interact. And by
looking at the lives of others, we learn more about our own.
Embracing
The Gray is just such a book.
-L.L.
A journey toward meaning. This book shows that
everything in life can move us toward meaning. I appreciate the author's
willingness to expose his life on paper so that we share his journey. I was
inspired by this to see my own life in a new way - which is all one can ask of
a memoir. Lovely writing and full of humor, too. Five stars.
- S.A.
- S.A.
Mark's unique talent as a storyteller will have
you laughing, sighing, & most importantly thinking ... often in the same
chapter & sometimes in the same paragraph. I found myself making an effort
to find "just a few minutes" to sneak in "just one more
chapter", and know I will re-read it often. This is a book that would be
enjoyed by & beneficial for everyone to read ... so buy it, read it, &
share it!
-B.D.
-B.D.
Something that I greatly appreciate about Mark
and his book is his gift of story telling. It's one thing to tell a story face
to face, but sharing an experience through the written word and making the
reader feel like they are right there beside you is an art form. Mark is simply
a fantastic writer. I found myself, like many of the other reviewers who have
posted, not able to put the book down. I wanted to find out what happened next!
This book has so many layers...it's deep and soul searching as well as light
and hilarious. It's one of those books where you find yourself laughing and
then running for the kleenex box. You will walk away feeling inspired,
invigorated, and challenged. I can't recommend this book enough. Well done.
-A.G.
-A.G.
I continue to be
humbled by the response the book is generating. If you have read it and wish to correspond with me, I always
interact with any communiqués.
You can also read many reader reviews (97% are Five Stars) at:
Embracing the Gray is still available for a limited time as a 99 cent Kindle download
at that same link, or as a free PDF download at my website (donations
accepted):
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