Healing After Divorce: Hope for Catholics

I recently finished Healing After Divorce: Hope For Catholics by Susan K. Rowland as part of the reviewer program with The Catholic Company. As this was the third book I have received, I can now say that I picked a book that disappointed me.

I selected this book because I have been searching for good resources for my mother as it is now two years since my parents' divorce was finalized.

The title was what drew me in, as this is exactly the theme that I want to convey to my mother and what she is looking for.

What I found; however, was less than satisfying.

In my opinion, the author gives too many personal stories of her own divorce. Those stories seemed to dominate my reading of this book, and I, instead, was looking for more of what the Church teaches about divorce, some pastoral suggestions for seeking healing, reflection questions, etc. All without bias or personal connection.

(Note: The author does include end-of-chapter questions and room to note any other thoughts, but this seemed dwarfed by the stories.)

One chapter in particular that I felt was lacking was on "First Decisions." The author states that for the newly divorced, one of the first things is to to make a decision to not get back in the dating scene as they haven't had proper time to heal. While that may be true, she does not introduce till several chapters later the process of annulment as necessary in order to do so.

I don't like to be so negative about a book, so I will say that there were several good scripture quotes included, the chapters were concise, the book is slim and easy to read, and the question format is a great set-up for one to journal with this book.

I definitely was let down by this book, but know that there are several others out there that might meet the current need in our family. This book might appeal to readers because of the personal stories, but my taste is decidedly against the amount shared.

This review was written as part of the Catholic Book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Healing after Divorce: Hope for Catholics and be sure to check out their great selection of baptism gifts while you are there. I received nothing but a free copy of the book in exchange for my opinion of it.