DWELL

A radio host examines her journey toward the realization that home doesn’t necessarily mean a beautiful house where one lives forever.

When SiriusXM radio host and writer Lord (On the Other Side of Fear: How I Found Peace, 2016) got married, she wanted a dream home where she and her husband, Dan, could raise their children and settle down. But as she writes, God had other plans for her, as she moved 11 times in 15 years and had eight children along the way. A woman of deep religious convictions, Lord explores what home really means to her. The dream may be of a place of permanence, but the reality is often much different. Furthermore, that reality involves more than just a physical space where we store our belongings; it includes our relationships with our family, friends, neighbors, and, most importantly to the author, God. Lord’s tale is clearly directed at Christian readers, as she constantly questions the directions, obstacles, and blessings God has brought to her. She chronicles her struggle with a miscarriage but mostly embraces both the good and the bad, taking it all in stride when she finally relinquishes control to God. With honesty and a bit of humor, Lord discusses her loneliness and depression as well as how she overcame her introverted nature to embrace a man who became godfather to one of her children. Throughout the narrative, we see her pushing against what she perceives as God’s path for her, but she always comes back to him. For Christian readers, the book will reinforce the concept that God is divine and knows far more than we do, so it’s best to release control into his hands. Nonbelievers, however, should look elsewhere for a meaningful definition of home.

For Christian readers, a serviceable exploration of the process of finding “a beautiful and deep sense of rootedness.”