"An Inspiring Autobiography"

This new biography will take you into the life and heart of one of my favorite Christian performers -- Sandi Patty. However this particular book is slightly different from other biographies you might pick up this year. Sandi's book revolves not only around the life she has led up to and since becoming a household name in most Christian homes. Sandi will touch upon what has probably been the biggest trial in her life and how it has affected her career and relationship with her family.

I found this book was a perfect example of what it would be like to live life in the limelight where no part of your life would be a secret for anyone. What saddened me was to realize that people who say they are your fans could turn around and throw stones at you after finding out you weren't "perfect". It seems that I always thought being a Christian was about realizing that as humans, we all make mistakes and that for that reason Christ died for our sins and is willing to forgive us any sins of our own.

After being found "broken on the back row", Sandi has re emerged as a woman just as talented, just as beautiful and most definitely stronger.

Sandi has stepped forward as a woman of faith and shared her story -- the good and the bad and been willing to ask forgiveness for any sins she may have committed. For that I commend her. I have and will continue to be a huge fan.

Who can rescue me from all that I've become? Thanks to heaven it's already done Bob Farrell and Greg Nelson "The Dilemma"

Reviewed by Shelby Bagby
Posted April 29, 2005

Summary

In this inspiring memoir, Grammy- and Dove Award--winning singer Patty recounts her rise in Christian music, her devastating fall from grace and the long road back to God. In the early 1990s, Patty separated from her husband and began an extramarital affair with a back-up singer who was also married. Patty repeatedly covered up the affair and lied about it before confessing to her pastor and other church members, and asking forgiveness from those she had wronged. She doesn't make excuses for her behavior; although she discusses some of the emotional "baggage" she carried (including childhood sexual abuse by a trusted babysitter), she knows that her actions weren't in keeping with Christian teachings or her family's trust. Refreshingly, she offers no titillating details about the affair itself or about the pain in her marriage that led to the initial separation. Now married to the singer she fell in love with, Patty is the mother to eight children in a yours-mine-and-ours blended family and devotes a fair portion of the book to describing their new life. Although the writing style is a bit gushy and the account could have used better editing (the titular story about Patty crying in the back row of a church is repeated twice in full), this memoir is a powerful testimony to the joy of forgiveness.