Grace (Eventually)

Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith, by Anne Lamott (2007)

Lamott’s latest book is a collection of essays, mostly republished from other sources. Her take on faith and spirituality was not what this reviewer expected, although it probably should have been: it is the first of her books I have read.

Because the essays here were originally written to stand by themselves, the repeated themes—her addictions and her contempt for George W. Bush—are initially tiresome. Those unfamiliar with Lamott’s liberal politics will almost certainly not make it past the first pages.

As the title suggests, Lamott’s quirky and sometimes humorous observations grew on this reviewer (eventually), even as I felt that I was getting something that was radically different from what I expected. Even for one who agrees with her politics it is a challenging read: her retelling of a misspent youth, which includes the aforementioned struggles with addiction and an abortion, is hardly the stuff one expects to read in a book on faith.

But as the words go by it becomes apparent that for Lamott, there is little if no separation between her politics, her past experiences, and her religious faith. The author often comes across as neurotic and fragile, and as a person who is frequently buoyed by her beliefs.

Lamott bears all in this slim volume, and while this reviewer generally doesn’t care for writing that so overtly seems to double as therapy for its creator, it’s hard to deny that there are some kernels of wisdom here.

Unfortunately, because this book so often treads into the political, it will be off-putting to those who disagree with the author on that score. Fans of Lamott will cheer and ask for more.