This book was both validating and challenging to me as a cradle Catholic. Mallory Smyth acknowledges the disappointment and discouragement many Catholics raised in the '80s and '90s feel over the poor catechesis they received in CCD class and over the sex abuse scandals, but it doesn't stop there. Rather, Mallory demonstrates the many wonderful reasons to stay in the Church despite the human faults that have plagued it over the decades, and encourages a reversion to the truth of the faith. Almost all of my Catholic friends are converts, and sometimes it feels like they don't relate to the cynicism I felt about the faith during my teens and 20s. This book helped me see clearly the path that I have been on, taking me away from those feelings, and how far I might still have to go on that journey. I think this is a great book for anyone seeking to return to the Church and also for anyone who wants to understand cradle Catholics who have either left and come back or simply struggled to stay.

As someone who lost their faith as a teenager and returned to it later on, I appreciated this memoir. The author tells her faith journey with a lot of reflection and it was meaningful to read.

When Mallory Smyth was invited to a party for a former NFL player's sixteen-year old son, she expected the best food and drink and a fun night. What she got was an evening of watching under-age kids wearing revealing clothes and dancing to songs with lyrics which made her cringe. She just felt emptiness. One scene especially stood out - the rope separating the teenagers from the adults. The parents of these Catholic schools knew that their children were breaking the rules, but they didn't care.

It reminded Mallory of the life that she'd lived which didn't bring true happiness. She writes luminously about how only faith can bring freedom and joy and she found it by going back to the Catholic faith in which she'd been brought up. She had 'cute clothes and great friends' and everything that she thought that she wanted, but she eventually realised that these were just idols, so she decided to explore the truth and the history of Christianity.

Mallory Smyth doesn't shy away from controversial topics in this book. She discuss the child abuse scandal of the Church, and she also writes about the Church's teachings on homosexuality, sex before marriage and birth control. She is also very concerned with how the Church can reach out to the young.

This is a wonderful book to read for anyone considering converting, or wanting to return to the fold. Congratulations, Mallory!

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Rekindled: How Jesus Called Me Back to the Catholic Church and Set My Heart on Fire is a coming-of-age, coming-to-the faith work that is thoroughly absorbing. Author Mallory Smyth manages to tell the unvarnished truth about her journey away from the Catholic faith and back again in a way that is winsome and compelling.

Indeed, many readers may be able to relate to Smyth's tales of trying--and failing--to find meaning in trivial pursuits while her heart hungered for a deeper relationship with God. Smyth is candid about her missteps on the path to self-fulfillment. She is also quite bold in addressing such topics as a "hypocritical hierarchy," "mediocre Masses," and other obstacles to an embrace of the Catholic faith.

In the end, Smyth makes a strong case for the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith, available to anyone open to its treasury of promises. The book may have special appeal to Millennials and members of Generation Z, who may be in the midst of a search for a spirituality that satisfies.