Synopsis:
Subtitled: “My Escape from Fundamentalism in Search of Faith with a Future.”

Review:
I have long been a fan of Elizabeth Esther’s blog (especially her previous tagline: “I use my words.”) I did not grow up in fundamentalism (thankfully) but did grow up with some of the premillenial dispensationalism that had me scared that I’d be Left Behind. When I joined a church that was affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America denomination, I was so relieved to find out that I no longer had to believe in a rapture or tribulation lasting 7 years or any of that. Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again, no need to look for signs and symbols and all of that. So given that point of connection with her story, our shared passion for protecting children from the evils of Michael Pearl and his un-Christian beliefs on child training and male dominance, and my admiration for her writing, I put Girl at the End of the World on the top of my must-read list.

Elizabeth Esther is a beautiful writer who infuses her words with honesty, bravery, and truth, all of which were abundantly on display on every page of her painful and hopeful memoir. Like Rachel Held Evans, Elizabeth Esther loves Christ and loves the church, and has been gifted with discernment to see where doctrine and practice go wrong. I can think of no better way to honor her than to call her Eshet Chayil!