Mary Beth Chapman

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.… (meer)

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.… (meer)