Walking Through Fire: A Memoir of Loss and Redemption

This book is remarkable. It is honest and raw, yet filled with hope and joy. I laughed and I cried. Vaneetha's story is at times heartbreaking, but her joy and amazing sense of humor are palpable throughout the book. Vaneetha's memoir will provide inspiration and hope to all who read it, but throughout you'll be aware that she is a real woman with real struggles. <br /><br />I particularly appreciated that she was forthright with her struggles as a parent of teenage daughters. Vaneetha doesn't set herself up as a mentor or teacher or expert, she shares real struggles and failures, raw conversations, and honest questions.<br /><br />Read this book. Be encouraged. Be inspired. Be reminded that God loves you and will never leave you.

What a powerful memoir. Risner leans heavily in her faith. She has needed that conviction to carry her through very dark times. Debilitating health issues, death of a child, a cheating spouse, and angry daughters, she survived it all. I read this book after having a frustrating day, but nothing compared to what she has endured. Although physically weak, she has been very strong. I think she was too kind To forgive her lout of an ex husband, but that's her business. If anyone thinks they have it horrible, read this book, you'll be hard pressed to beat what the author has experienced. Thanks to Edelweiss and Thomas Nelson for the early read.

The astonishing, Job-like story of how an existence filled with loss, suffering, questioning, and anger became a life filled with shocking and incomprehensible peace and joy.<br />When Vaneetha Risner's infant son died due to doctor's error, she felt devoid of purpose, of thought, and even feeling. Hadn't she suffered enough? <br />'Walking Through Fire' is a raw and utterly compelling memoir of one woman's courageous journey toward wholeness amid a world of brokenness. With laughter and heartbreak, honesty and hope, Vaneetha's story reminds us that the same God who walked with her through fire is present with each of us in our pain - and offers a purpose and peace that is breathtakingly beautiful. <br />5 stars

I devoured this audiobook without stopping and am left so inspired by Risner. In her autobiography she shares an incredibly powerful testimony through so much suffering. From the loss of her precious baby boy, to her challenges with polio, to an unfaithful husband and a diagnosis of post-polio- she has trusted and relied on God through it all.<br /><br />I highly recommend listening to the song Held from Natalie Grant after reading, as the lyrics were written about Paul, the baby boy who went to be with Jesus. It's beautiful and so emotional, just like this book. Highly recommend.

Finished in one day. Highly recommend this memoir.

This book is a compulsive read that had me lamenting and praising in turn. I started the book at 8:30 on a Saturday morning, and other than a break to refill my coffee cup, I didn't move from my chair until I turned the last page around 3 in the afternoon. <br />This is a story of how God gives and takes away and gives again in the author's life, and it's a story of the goodness and glory of God himself through every step of her journey. <br />Preorder a copy today and add it to your TBR pile! (Note: My review is based on an advance copy of the proofs that I received from the publisher. I received no remuneration of any kind for this review.)

Part way thru and love that a book this easy to read has so much depth. This is a true story and great memoir.

A super honest, relatable, and inspiring memoir from a woman who has experienced suffering in a myriad of ways, but has chosen to look to God for her hope and help. I related to her story on so many levels: her loss of a child, the heartache in her marriage, and the loneliness of raising kids unsupported. She's so honest with the good, bad, and the ugly that you just feel as if she is a kindred spirit. Her beautiful heart...and faith...shine through on every page.

This one came out of nowhere and hit me like a sledgehammer. The premise is simple it starts as a young girl and her life is one painful trial after another. A true modern day Job, this is about a God who seemingly slays her, yet , somehow, she learn to trust. She’s written such a raw memoir mixed with hope. She allows you to walk alongside her through her perils and let’s you look inside her heart. And your heart will truly ache. The inner struggles she shares are some we never imagine pushing through. All the while trying to hold it together and love the people around her. There are poignant scenes and daily struggles she shares and her writing is smoothe and effortless. This is one you can’t put down, almost like you can’t look away, but again it is mixed with hope and community and love. And her words have power because you can’t deny what she’s walked through is fire. 4.5/5 stars

Captivating, Encouraging, and Challenging<br /><br />Just finished listening to the audio version of this book, read by the author, as I await my pre-ordered hard copy of the title. What a privilege to be drawn into this compelling and transparent journey of Vaneetha’s life, as she walks her readers through the deep physical, emotional, and spiritual valleys she has experienced. And what joy can be found in the faithful and sovereign God who meets her in her suffering, walks with her, carries her, and gives her strength, perseverance, and hope in the midst of her pain and sorrow. This work is raw, vulnerable, and poignant, yet offers great encouragement to fellow sufferers as well as those who come alongside those who are suffering. A helpful book to keep on hand, and buy a few extra to give to those in your life who are hurting.