57544

Mary Beth Chapman is as transparent as they come, showing that God's grace and mercy shine brightest through our own faults and cracks. ( )

Anyone who kept track of the Christian music industry in 2008 (and many who didn't) heard about the loss of five-year-old Maria Chapman to a tragic accident in the driveway of the Chapman family's home. This book feels more like two shorter books: the first half being a general biography of Mary Beth's journey as Christian, wife to a CCM superstar, and mother ... the second half being her journey of sorrow and anger and hope after her daughter's death.

My reading diet of primarily fiction may have shaped my view of this book somewhat. The editing could be tighter, especially regarding the repetition. The writing itself is more like conversation than text. However, especially in the last quarter of the book (which consists of blog posts from Mary Beth in the first two years without Maria), a blogging/speaking style seems to be the point.

Choosing to SEE is brave, open, aching. It asks questions and usually doesn't have answers. Yet it settles at last on the choice to "SEE" what God has to show us, through grief and in spite of it--namely, Himself. I have so much respect for Mary Beth, revealing her heart and her flaws, her victories and defeats, to a readership of strangers like me. I'm richer for having read this book. ( )

This is a book about the life of the author, Mary Beth Chapman. She is the wife of Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman. They adopted 3 girls from China and one of the girls was tragically killed when she was just 5 years old. She wrote the book about 2 years after Maria's death to help her through the grieving process.



I was hoping to like this book more than I did. We adopted our Cainan from Hunan in 2007, and I followed Mary Beth Chapman's journey and blog during that time. I kept following for awhile after her daughter Maria was killed, but then life got in the way, and I lost track of her. I saw someone reading this book on the subway in Boston one day, and I thought I would see what it was about.



It had its good parts. It talked about the accident and how their family was working through it. But it was an overly religious book, and not well written. I have read other books that were religious, but this one was just......not good. It was over the top and just made me roll my eyes constantly. So - I don't recommend it. ( )

Mary Beth Chapman is the wife of Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman. The book begins with her marriage at 19 to 21-year-old Steven and continues through the early years of their marriage--the beginning of Steven's career as a singer and the ultimate birth of three children. Mary Beth also frankly discusses her problems with depression, especially during Steven's early tours, and the fact that she takes anti-depressants. I found that brave because many Christians can be judgmental about mental health issues. At some point Mary Beth and her eldest daughter take a Compassion International trip to Haiti, where Emily's heart is turned toward the plight of orphans. She begins to urge her parents to adopt a child. Ultimately they do decide to adopt a baby girl from China. They are so touched by the situation of the orphans that they urge their friends and others to adopt as well, and several in their circle of friends and family do. The Chapmans go on to adopt two more daughters from China, completing their family with six children. Then one day tragedy strikes when their son Will Franklin hits their 5-year-old daughter Maria with his car in their driveway (NOT a spoiler since this is on the dust jacket). The remainder, and point, of the book is the family, especially Mary Beth, dealing with the grief caused by Maria's death. Mary Beth frankly deals with the fact that in the depth of her sorrow she has questions about why God would allow such a tragedy to happen, but continues to choose to SEE that she has a future with Maria in heaven, that there is a purpose and plan that can't be comprehended, and that while she won't get over the tragedy, she and her family will get through it. She also has to deal not only with the death of her daughter, but also her concern over her son and his guilt, and the fact that the oldest adopted daughter witnessed the accident. The Chapmans have a strong faith that holds them together, and friends and family who share that faith and pull together. They also wisely seek counseling for everyone. The aftermath takes the family members in different directions, but they channel their grief into projects that benefit others and allow them to share their faith.

I enjoyed this book because Mary Beth doesn't hesitate to voice her doubts and questions to God. She doesn't pretend that all is well because she believes in an eternal future with her lost child. She spends day in tears and despair. And yet despite her agony, that doesn't really abate, she is able to hang on to her faith and choose to SEE what God can do and how he meets her needs from day to day. This book was heartbreaking, but inspirational. ( )