A Bounty of Books

Night Driving: A Story of Faith in the Dark by Addie Zierman is the story of the author's two week car trip with her two young sons from Minnesota to Florida and back. Zierman interweaves the events of her trip with her internal struggle of a period of darkness in her faith.

This is Zierman's second memoir. Her first, When We Were on Fire (which I reviewed here) recounts her journey out of the Christian culture bubble from adolescence to adulthood. Night Driving picks up a couple of years later when Zierman finds herself once again sinking into darkness and trying to escape. She can no longer "feel" God and is desperate to avoid the pit she previously fell into. Her solution is to literally escape the dreary winter of Minnesota in exchange for the sunny beaches of Florida, and hope that at the same time her spirit escapes the winter it finds itself in.

Night Driving is just as readable as Zierman's first book. While I didn't find myself personally relating to this one quite as much as I did the first, I still found a familiar story with elements that resonated. It can be a struggle for those who were brought up to believe faith was all about feeling to not get discouraged and depressed with the feelings disappear. It's not only something one learns to deal with as one matures in their faith, but is also something that often requires a deliberate frame of reference mind shift. Zierman's journey through this shift is honest and encouraging for any who may find themselves in the same position.

I would recommend Night Driving to anyone who may find themselves in a "winter" in their faith. It would also be helpful for anyone who doesn't understand how discouraging that can look and feel. Zierman's honesty allows the reader to take what they can, and leave the rest. There is no pretense to wade through. Night Driving is another great addition to the collection of the millennial memoir.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255