A powerful and deeply personal memoir that explores the author's journey to find his true self amidst the challenges of religion, rape, conversion therapy, and cancer. Ashton's writing is both candid and thought-provoking, offering a poignant reflection on the lasting impact of shame and the healing power of self-acceptance. The book delves into the complexities of navigating one's identity within the confines of religious expectations, shedding light on the struggles faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in conservative communities. Ashton's resilience and courage shine through as he shares his experiences, providing hope and inspiration to others who may be on a similar path. "Saint Unshamed" is a compelling and moving memoir that challenges societal norms and encourages readers to embrace their authentic selves.

Hands down, one of the best memoirs I've ever read. Kerry Ashton bears every remarkable, horrifying, inspiring and deeply personal detail of his life. Sparing nothing, this is as raw and real as any memoir can get.

I held off writing this review, hoping the right words would come to me, but I'm still struggling to capture how deeply affected I was by this intense work. Ashton has bared his soul, giving us a profound gift of his words.

Ashton shares his story perfectly, alternating the distant past with more recent experiences; which prevents the journey from ever being too 'heavy' for the reader. Though Ashton's life has been quite different from mine, I could completely relate to difficult themes of the roles that religion and the search for self acceptance play in our lives. Ashton describes with profound clarity, his personal journey, in a way few authors have been able to articulate.

Though the title accurately captures the content of the book, it doesn't celebrate the spirit and inspiration of Ashton's words. I feel blessed to have found this- and taken the remarkable journey that carried me through, page after page. I can't recommend this highly enough.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a difficult book to read in many ways - mainly because of the honesty of the author and the brutal experiences he had to go through as a gay man in the Mormon church in the 1970s. I really really really hope the church does not still do 'conversion therapy'. That the author managed to come through his experiences is a testament to his strength. Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book to me in exchange for an honest review. It's hard to say I enjoyed this book as it dealt with such difficult subject matter, but it was a book worth reading.

If you want to know what it's like to be Mormon, this book is accurate, especially if you are homosexual. I was surprised when a friend said that she no longer attended the LDS church because they didn't like her much, since she is a lesbian. After reading this book, I can see some of the experiences she might have had. You might not want to read this book if you don't care to know about the sexual side of being a male homosexual as this book spells it out clearly... not very pleasant reading. The story was a bit disjointed, constantly jumping back and forth in time. It would have been easier to follow if it had been written in chronological order.