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Today, I’ll be reviewing “Born To Deliver” by Kathy Brace. This book was given to me by a good friend who actually had Kathy as a midwife. Yay for friends who gift good books! This is the second Honest Book Review on theblogmom.com. You can read my first review on Danger (outdoor stories) here. As one of my goals for 2023 was to read more, I created this section of my blog to help me out.
One of my struggles is finding good books that hold my attention throughout the whole story. Unfortunately, I typically end up forcing myself to finish a book just to say that I’ve read it. I wanted a unique space that would provide legitimate, honest book recommendations from a trustworthy, reliable source.
Therefore, I started this section. This is here for other avid readers, people who see a certain book in a store and wonder if it’s all it’s cracked up to be. You’ll receive a basic synopsis of the book, my opinions, and can decide for yourself whether or not you actually want to pick it up. These are, obviously, my brutal honest opinions. They don’t have to be yours. I welcome disagreements and friendly conversations and encourage you to add your thoughts in the comment section.
Basic Breakdown
I’m not one for autobiographies, typically. “Born To Deliver” is one of the first modern autobiographies I’ve ever enjoyed. Reading someone else’s life story usually turns out to be a bore for me. Not so with this one! Kathy’s story is heartbreaking, raw, and filled with emotion. As a mother, reading about her life of broken dreams, unwanted pregnancies, and awful relationships doesn’t leave you depressed, surprisingly. Rather, it is a story of God working in and through Kathy’s life and restoring her heart.
General Description
Written by Kathy Brace, 218 pages.
“Born To Deliver” tells the story of a young girl in an unstable environment with an alcoholic, absent father and mother who didn’t need another baby. Reaching adulthood, we read of Kathy’s bounce from one relationship to another, and the unwanted pregnancies that ensued. That’s not the end of her story. Kathy learns to true redemption, peace and freedom through opening up to those close to her about the secrets she’s kept for ages, but ultimately through opening up to a loving and gracious God.
Favorite Quote from Born To Deliver
“I had tasted the goodness of God. I had seen Him take care of my needs over and over again. But just like Eve thousands of years before, I believed the lie that there was something better, something more desirable than what God was giving me…In the midst of my leanness, I realized something incredible: God was still there”.
My Opinions
It’s common while reading a book to wonder what an author’s theme, or purpose in telling his or her life’s story. Typically there’s more to it than meets the eye. A good author does a better job of revealing that purpose than normal authors do, in my opinion. I think Kathy does a fantastic job of sharing the purpose of her story: she reveals how God’s hand has been at work in her life, in spite of the pain and heartache she experienced. It reminds us of the Psalm that tells us to “Bless the Lord” and “Forget not all of His benefits” (Psalms 103).
I can’t help but approach a political stance when discussing this book. I hold such a strong opinion when it comes to Women’s Rights, the pro life movement, and recent ROE v WADE overturning. Honestly, it’s probably the only hill I’ll die on. This book hasn’t necessarily changed my stance, but has definitely opened my eyes to more behind the scenes, problematic and worrisome issues that arise.
I’ll leave it with this: if you’re strongly pro-life, you should read this book. At the same time, if you’re staunchly pro-choice, you should read this book. It’s so easy to get caught up in the political realm that we forget that there are real people and circumstances that happen behind these laws that govern us.
Lastly, let me add how much I appreciated the motif of birth and delivery throughout this story. I find motherhood, labor and delivery fascinating and while I think I could never be a midwife, I admire Kathy and the story behind her ultimately becoming a midwife. She has turned her dark past circumstances and completely made something beautiful out of it. Her story is truly admirable and inspiring.
Recommendation
First off, I do not recommend this to any reader under a high school grade level. Certain topics, in my opinion, don’t need to be discussed before a certain maturity. If you read this book and enjoyed (and other autobiographies), I would highly suggest God’s Smuggler, a daring story of a missionary risking his life in order to get Bibles behind the Iron Curtain. *As an Amazon Affiliate, I can make a small commission off of purchases made at no additional cost to you!
Read this book? Let me know your thoughts below in the comments!
[…] An autobiography every woman and teen girl ought to read in their lives. This book tells the true story behind a girl craving relationships and ultimately finding redemption in Christ. It inspires Christian women to rethink how they treat individuals they see as inferior, sinful, or less than. Quite possibly the best autobiography I’ve ever read. You can read more of my thoughts on it here. […]