Review & Giveaway: A Different Kind of Strong - Second Edition: Addiction & Adversity Leads To A 30-Day Fast & A Christ-Centered Life by Daniel L. Trotter

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

Synopsis

On October 14, 2011, Daniel Trotter began a forty-day fast. He was consumed by the question and desperate to know, what do I do? After thirty days in the wilderness, God sent him home with an answer. It was, “Come back to Me.”

For decades, Daniel was held in thrall to alcohol, drugs, porn, and depression. He had friends, but life had lost all meaning.

During a radical thirty-day fast, Daniel encountered God – and great temptation. Afterward, he lost his wife, and his home, but he gained a new perspective – God’s. He went back to school and graduated with honors. God blessed him with a remarriage to someone who understands his heart and shares his faith. He has found peace and purpose.

Daniel found freedom in God’s love and in following God and living according to his precepts. Daniel’s memoir will show you how God can heal every physical, mental and emotional hurt and help you to become whole.

My Review

Occasionally I like to read nonfiction books, and the description of this one appealed to me. It's a memoir of the time the author lived in a campground and fasted from everything but water, but the majority of the telling is flashbacks and memories of the experiences and mistakes in his life up to that point. It's real and gritty (though tastefully non-explicit). The narration of the author is voiced like he is sharing recollections, so I didn't feel connected to the experiences or emotions as if I was in his shoes. The realizations and visions he experiences during his fast lead him to fully embrace God and religion as his saving grace, but other than a brief epilogue, I missed learning about the healing part of his life. This book felt like a prologue to the story I expected. I think it would be especially valuable to those who need hope that no matter how dark their path in life has been, there is always a way forward and a special strength can be found through Jesus and repentance, as told by one who knows.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

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