What do Bill Cosby, mystery, yearning, "Almost Famous," transparency, tears, and Jethro Tull have in common?

My book, Embracing the Gray: A Wing a Prayer, and A Doubter’s Resolve, has elicited many Five Star Reviews at Amazon.com.  Here are some more that have come in… 

I want to get right to the point: Buy this book! It is a memoir of a serious Christian and his faith journey, but so much more. Other reviews have given you a pretty detailed view of what it comprises, so let me focus more on what it is not. It is not a conventional memoir, starting from A and ending with Z. It is more a series of vignettes in Mr. Hollingsworth's life that exemplify how he struggled and how he grew in his faith. It is not a "preachy" book in regards to faith. Rather, it describes the struggle that just about all followers of Christ experience. It does not insult the reader by talking down to them, summing up what a chapter means. Rather, one is left to decide for themselves what conclusions should be drawn. It is not a book of rigid Christian doctrine, describing a narrow path to faith. Rather, Mr. Hollingsworth shares with the reader timeless principles of faith. The chapters comprise wonderful short stories or events in his life, and regardless of the details of each, I cannot imagine the great majority of readers not identifying with his struggles, sharing his emotions, and being enriched from his telling. This book is filled with hope, doubt, sadness, reflection, joy, wonderment, yearning, questioning, affirmation, and so much more. But if I had to describe a single term for what it evokes, it would be humanity. Like I said: buy this book. You will be richer for it. 
D.A. 

Honest and entertaining. Embracing The Gray has been one of the most rewarding reads I have had in recent history. Mark has the relatable, honest, and humorous qualities of great storytellers like Bill Cosby, and manages to inspire deep thought in an honest spiritual journey all at once. I look forward to reading it again.
S.C.B. 

Treasure the questions. This book is a collection of the some of the blogs from one of the most thoughtful, insightful, entertaining and challenging writers in the blogosphere.  I have been a keen reader of his writings for a number of years and I was excited when I heard of the release of this his first book.

It does not disappoint. It is a journey into the world of a man who has lived an extraordinary life but has clearly kept his feet on the ground and so displays himself as an ordinary guy. The son of a pastor he shares the story of a boy brought up in a world where he realizes he has his own big questions about God. The book explores this ongoing journey from the trusting faith of a child through his agnostic period (whilst at bible college!) through to his acceptance that if God is God & Mark is not, then he will never have all the answers. This is the gray that is mentioned in the title.

The stories are all incredibly readable and in many cases very moving. My personal favourites were "Entertaining Angels" and "In a Highland Meadow"

If you like your faith stories and parables full of simple answers & platitudes, give the book a miss and pray really hard that tragedy never visits your door. However, most of us accept that life is full of mystery & as such this book is a welcome addition to our library. I cannot recommend it highly enough. 
G.S. 

Simply stunning. Honestly, Mark's life runs parallel to the film "Almost Famous," only it's more exciting. I won't ruin any of the surprises, but I guarantee you'll have several moments where you say to yourself "I can't believe all this happened to one person."  The only book I've ever read with a meeting with U2, and an incident with a drunken, suicidal gunman live just pages apart. And both are true. Loved it!           

S.H. 

You’ll be reading passages aloud to the nearest person. Embracing the Gray will have you reading with your mouth agape, or tearing up, or laughing out loud. You'll be inspired by the author's transparency and humor. You'll enjoy this read if you are interested in music, travel, deepening relationships or spiritual things. There is no shying away from the "hard questions" here.

S.D. 

Excellent.  I appreciate Mark's refreshing honesty about his faith, his struggles, and the joy and torment that life in general brings. I was moved to the brink of tears often. The compassion exhibited throughout is inspiring.

B.B. 

In a world where many people try to delineate the "black & white" - the "one way or the other" - it's refreshing that someone has "embraced the gray" because that's where we all live. There are too many factors involved in everything to make a clean cut decision between "this and that" - even though that's what many of us want. What is written in this book are Mark's experiences, but I'm sure any/all of us can relate somehow. If not, then I don't know..."I may make you feel, but I can't make you think..." (from “Thick as a Brick” by Ian Anderson/Jethro Tull). Either way is good by me. Get the book, read it, and come to your own thoughts as to how what is said applies to your own life.

S.H. 

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:

http://www.amazon.com/Embracing-Gray-Doubters-Resolve-ebook/dp/B004L62CN2/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

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):

http://markahollingsworth.com/Node

"Monty Python meets C.S Lewis" and more Five Star Amazon reviews of "Embracing the Gray"

The thoughtful and passionate reviews of Embracing the Gray: A Wing, A Prayer, and A Doubter’s Resolve, are still pouring in.  I continue to be humbled by these responses, and am encouraged to keep the book available as a free PDF download at my website (http://markahollingsworth.com) as well a 99 cent Kindle download at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Embracing-Gray-Doubters-Resolve-ebook/dp/B004L62CN2/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top).

Here are some more of the reviews that have come in the past few weeks:

Great writer, great person, hysterically funny, intellectual, & has such a heart for missions. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially cynics. Mark has a wonderful way with words - kind of like CS Lewis meets Monty Python. A must-read.
-C.S.

Personal. Passionate.  Provocative. It's rare to find a book that evokes such a variety of emotions and experiences - pain, relief, despair, hope, grit, courage, compassion, humor, discovery, mystery. Because of the diversity of the stories written in this book, there is diversity in what you experience and gain from reading it.

If you're looking for a book that delivers nicely wrapped answers to all of the complex questions of life, faith, God's love and character OR you're trying to find the right way to walk through a life of faith in a world that often produces more questions than answers, you won't find it in this book. What you will find is a read that leads you down roads of questions and eventually to a place where you become comfortable with mystery and God's great love for us.

Brilliantly and courageously written, creative (C'mon! How many writers come up with nine different ways to say screaming baby?!?), humorous and profound, you won't be able to put this book down!

Mark Hollingsworth's writing is personal allowing the reader to walk with him through his questions and feeling a part of the journey. There was a sense of a kindred spirit as I read Embracing the Gray that allowed me to learn and gain from Mark's life and experiences. Reading the book was a gift.

-S.F.

Love this book! Mark has written a touching and at times hysterical memoir. In particular though, the account of his brother's troubled relationship with his family was quite moving. These are stories of love, faith, loss, and joy that only a writer as adept and honest as Mark could make so three dimensional as to jump off the page. Well worth your time!

-R.E.

Finding God in all things. Mark Hollingsworth writes eloquently about his international experiences--with the "little survivors (ti chape)" in Haiti, for instance, and a small probable rape victim named Mercy in Nairobi's teeming Methere Valley slum. But his writing is even more effective when he describes personal encounters closer to home--with Andy, a despondent house mate who alternates between swigs of Jim Beam and a large caliber handgun he places in his mouth, for instance, and Gwen, a homeless schizophrenic suffering from AIDS whom Mark suddenly encounters at his house in Nashville. His extended meditation on the passing of his father is remarkably compelling.

Early on Mark's small town, family-bred faith weathered crises brought on by the deaths of three boyhood friends and then his brother Jim along with the frequent spiritual dilemmas that afflict college-age young people. Mark's approach to the questions he faced was mindful of St. Augustine: "Let us, on both sides, lay aside all arrogance. Let us not, on either side, claim that we have already discovered the truth."

To his vast credit, Mark refused to settle for pat answers to questions of Time, the World and God. Instead, he undertook a lifelong quest for the path--the "gray" that lies somewhere, somehow between the extremes of blinding light and pure darkness. As one trained in a Jesuit environment, I recognized in Mark's story the classic steps of "finding God in all things," which begins with paying attention to our own inner lives and of the people and the world around us. Like St. Ignatius Mark found a mixture of light and dark, ideas and feelings, things that gave him joy and things that saddened him. Mark has detailed a rich tapestry that has grown more complex the more he has allowed it to register on his awareness.

Finally--in his work with Compassion, and particularly with this book--Mark has followed the ultimate precept, to communicate what he has learned and to participate wholeheartedly in the transformation of the world.

-S.O.

The best book I’ve read in the past ten years! Mark Hollingsworth’s stories and experiences with life and bands hits very close to home, in fact I know for some of the stories, I was in the same room. His insights though, are much deeper than my own, and really impacted me. He writes so effortlessly, and I read Embracing the Gray in just two days. I have re-read it twice now. Simply a great writer, a great book, and the message is timeless.

-G. M. J.

Once you have read the book, be sure to post a review at Amazon, and let me know your thoughts.  I appreciate interactions with my readers.  : )

Thanks!

Mark

"If you like Anne Lamott, CS Lewis, and Donald Miller, you will enjoy Embracing the Gray," and more Five Star reviews from Amazon

Here are some more of the Five Star reviews being posted on Amazon.com for Embracing the Gray: A Wing, A Prayer, and A Doubter's Resolve. I am humbled that these top ratings continue to come in at a 97% rate (with the other 3% being Four Stars).

Well worth the journey. As a human who struggles with "what I'd like to see happen" vs. "what often actually happens" in the world, this book is both deeply moving and strangely comforting. Apparently Mark and I have very similar musical tastes and he appreciates thoughtful lyrics. Some great references. Near the end of Embracing the Gray, all I could think was, "Oh my God!" and not in a casual 'OMG' sense. -A.B.

Embracing the Gray is written from an honest and vulnerable perspective. Each reader can find something that speaks to them within the pages. Hollingsworth says things that most people think about but would never say. This book is definitely worth the read. -D.C.

I highly recommend Mark Hollingsworth's memoir. He is a beautiful storyteller with remarkable stories to share. Mark candidly relays a believer’s doubt and struggles weaving in stories of his international travel working among the poorest of the poor and working in the music biz. If you enjoy the likes of Anne Lamott, CS Lewis, Donald Miller, etc. you will enjoy Embracing the Gray. -L.L.

An inspiring journey! This is a book I am glad I made the time to read (one sitting, of course--couldn't put it down)! An autobiographical account of a faith journey that is inspiring, humbling, moving, amusing, encouraging, and uplifting. The sharing in this book is courageous without seeming reckless, vulnerable without the tinge of fear, open and confident without being arrogant. It left me feeling honored to be welcomed into the sharing. It is rare and refreshing to have someone share their faith and their journey in such an open-hearted, open-minded way. Without the drawing of too many conclusions that can close up an idea, the readers are left with still more mystery to explore on their own journey. I was inspired by Mark, but instead of feeling encouraged to 'be like him,' I feel encouraged to be more like me. -L.M.

I couldn’t put it down! Not only has Hollingsworth walked the walk in his lifelong service, he can also talk the talk! He's a fantastic writer. His book is a precious collection of his life experiences, told in a creative, sensitive, thought-provoking, and often humorous way. I think most of us can identify with him as he reflects back and realizes how past experiences can take on new meaning. I think Hollingsworth has only scratched the surface of his depth and talents. -D.M.

As a reminder, Embracing the Gray is still available for a limited time as a 99 cent Kindle download at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Embracing-Gray-Doubters-Resolve-ebook/dp/B004L62CN2/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

You can also get a free PDF download of the entire book for a limited time at my website:

http://www.markahollingsworth.com/node/12

And, you can learn more about the book via this video trailer on Youtube (please feel free to share this link with your friends):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yYV16kzNFYI

Thanks!