Good news from Publishers Weekly!

I just saw the Publishers Weekly review for A MAZE OF GRACE. And it's fabulous!!! I'm shaking right now, all teared up & soggy. I hadn't realized how nervous I was about this until I read the review (and then re-read it six or seven times). The relief is unbelievable.

Here's why: MAZE was a tough book to write. It's super-personal, even more so than HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT. It's real and raw and (in a few places) heartbreaking, even for me. But it's also--like me--fun and funny, and a little absurd. Which was a weird balance in the midst of the process. Not to mention that life while I was writing was rather tumultuous, and my editors and I were adding and deleting scenes right up until the very last moment. By the time the book was finalized, I'd sort of lost touch with whether it was "good" or not, in the big-picture sort of way: Was it entertaining and encouraging...and something you'd want to give to all your friends? I hoped (and I certainly prayed) so. I'm tearfully grateful to report that he folks at Publishers Weekly say yes:

A Maze of Grace: A Memoir of Second Chances
Ryan (He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not) returns with another spiritual memoir, bringing back her trademark wit, humor, and honesty. Her first book portrayed her journey toward love after a promise to “take Jesus seriously”; this sequel chronicles her spiritual and romantic life during the first five years of her marriage. Each chapter focuses on a unique struggle or revelation, from the joys and challenges of marriage to body image and politics; as a result, the book reads more like a compilation of short essays or long blog entries rather than one continuous narrative. Most admirably, Ryan, currently part of the pastoral staff of Vineyard Church, is able to present herself as a believing Christian who recognizes that spirituality can be both simple and complex, a universal experience that can be felt in an infinite number of ways. Ryan does not evangelize, instead humbly and humorously offering her own experience for interpretation. Readers of all faiths can enjoy this memoir for its humanity and its honest exploration of relationships and religion, showing how those two things can often intertwine. (June)

If you decide to read it, I hope you'll feel the same.
Thanks for letting me share the good news :)