Embrace Me by Lisa Samson took me a little bit longer to get into than some of her others, but once I did, it was well worth it. I spent an entire weekend letting Lisa’s words wash over me.
Once again, her word choice is impeccable. Look at these: from inside a church–"Thomas, his stained-glass face eating up the late afternoon sun, looks doubtful of my presence and I can’t blame him." Or "Which much pretty ruins it for those people who don’t exactly cotton to a three-piece suit, or a cassock, or even jeans and a polo shirt." Love it!
Embrace Me is about a "lizard woman" from a freak show trying to accept who’s she’s become after some nasty burns, a pastor who’s realized how he’s led his church astray in the name of power, and the communities that love them. It’s a beautiful portrayal of gnashing-of-teeth forgiveness. It takes it out of the abstract and puts it in your hand.
Her characters, as usual, are amazing: each their own. Each flawed, redeemable, and marked with the Imago Dei. Their dialogue flows from the personality of the character and is distinct to each.
Embrace Me is sometimes borderline preachy (even if I could say amen! to the sermons), but it presents the frustrations and beauty of the Body of Christ.
Discussion questions for Embrace Me to steal for your book club or interact with on the forum
