Title:
Above
All Things: The Journey of an Evangelical Christian Mother and Her Gay Daughter
Author:
Shari
Johnson
Memoir Express Version:
Shari
Johnson's world turned upside down the night her 37-year-old daughter called
and told her that she was gay. She thought this just could not be possible. Her
daughter had always been the hero-Air Force Academy graduate, second woman to
fly the U-2 spy plane, captain for United Airlines - she cried, begged, pleaded
with God to change her daughter, but he changed Shari instead.
Why it moved me:
An
Amazon reviewer said, “She has balls as big as church bells.” I mean, isn’t
that reason enough to pick up this book? Not only is this memoir beautifully
written and authentic as it exposes the author’s lifelong belief systems, and
devotion to her faith; there is a great deal of wit that makes this a must-read
for families of all faiths. It’s not just for those struggling
through Gay and Lesbian issues; it is for all readers who are open to hear the
range of issues that prevent good intentioned people from reaching acceptance.
Although this book depicts the hardships of a mother discovering that her
daughter is gay and how she came to terms with it in her own life, it reaches
out to all of us in a loving, often humorous fashion that shares how life is not
just black and white. This is ultimately a book about a mother realizing that
no matter what, she was still a human being like everyone else and had to learn
not to judge, to critique, or to condemn. Shari thought she would have to
"live with" her daughter's "choice" to be gay, but has came
to the understanding that all she had to do was love her child
unconditionally.
Gasp!
When
Shari has a conversation with God and asks him to make her child “not gay
anymore” and struggled with what she did wrong to “make her gay”, I was in
stitches. I am sure the intention was not to be comical, but I simply found
myself shocked that there are people who still react this way in our day and
age. It was a real eye-opener.
She’s somebody:
Shari
Johnson’s story was written as a result of her struggle as an
Evangelical Christian to come to terms with her daughter's homosexuality.
Her desire is to help reconcile families torn apart over this issue. From her
example, she hopes that readers will "have more sense than I
did." Shari learned that grudging acceptance was not the same as embracing her
daughter for who she is. After ending a long career as a dental
hygienist, Shari Johnson is pursuing her dream as a book editor and
writer.
Want more?
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