Be the Gift [book review]

I don't know what it is about Ann Voskamp, but I find myself both drawn in and repelled by anything she writes. It's got to be her writing style--there are times it doesn't make any sense to me at all, and I get all eye roll-ey. And then there are times when the way she writes strikes me as beautiful and poetic and I get all swoon-ey for it. It's a love-hate relationship, pretty literally.

Be the Gift is Ann Voskamp's newest contribution to the world of printed media. It's sortof a weird book, to be honest. It looks and feels like a gift-able book. It's a small hardcover book with lovely photography and the title scripted in gold. But the subject matter--about using your own personal brokenness to bless others--seems like an odd thing to be giving as a gift. I mean, if I know someone who is going through a tough time, it feels a little pretentious to give them a book that tells them to put their struggles to work, ya know? But if it's a close friend who will understand your heart, it could work.

That being said, the concept is totally valid and quite beautiful put into practice. And I actually enjoyed reading the book myself. Ann's writing flows with her usual tone, and the "sections" (if you can call them that--they aren't really broken up into chapters or anything, just short little entries) are quick reads if you only have a few minutes. It's a sortof feel-good inspirational book that would make you want to go out and DO something worth doing.

The book includes nearly 200 pages of readings and six journal-style pages to write down how you've given to others (which I would never use and think are a little silly). There are also gift tags tucked into a little slipcover on the back, to use when you send that fresh-baked apple pie over to the neighbor's house. Again, a little silly. But I suppose, if you're giving the book itself as a gift, it's a sweet touch of something extra.

Keep in mind that the text in this book is primarily taken from her latest full-length book, The Broken Way. (It also includes excerpts from Voskamp's blog.) I haven't read TBW, so I can't attest to whether or not it would be valuable to read Be the Gift in addition to TBW. However, I didn't feel as though I was missing out on anything having not read TBW before reading Be the Gift.

I received a copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.