Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. This is simply an astounding book written with beauty, clarity and hope. Sarah is among the best writers of faith memoirs of the generation and this book is no exception. Her words are more beautiful and more hopeful than I knew I needed and I will be buying the hard copy so that I can read and re-read.

There was a lot to like about this book. Sarah writes with a warmth and compassion that really comes through on the page. Her message of God's love for wherever you are, and it being ok to doubt and question comes through clear.
That being said I struggled with some of this book. I have had plenty of time in the last few years where I have questioned and reconsidered aspects of my faith, and may even now still visit the wilderness from time to time, but I have not arrived in the same place as Bessey. In a few places, although she says it's ok to end up wherever we find ourselves, it felt like she was really trying to say is that where she has ended up, especially around the issues of the LGBTQIA+, is the right place. I also don't like how she refers to God, including Jesus, by feminine pronouns and descriptors. I am as egalitarian as they come, and yet, the bible clearly describes God as a father, not mother, and Jesus was an actual historical figure who was male, and I don't know what she gets from changing how she portrays Him other than to be able to emphasize the more loving and caring aspects of His character, but you don't need to change a gender to do that.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I'm not exaggerating when I say I will be buying this book for every friend who has struggled with the church. Bessey is able to articulate the pain and struggle as well as the hope for better, and in my opinion no one else compares.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have read, and enjoyed, all of Sarah Bessey's books. But this was definitely her best one yet.

Sarah Bessey's writing always hits home. In this book, she's writing for all of us in the wilderness, searching for meaning and connection with God, and it's personal because she's been there too. The central point to her writing is that God loves us, no matter where we find ourselves, and she offers hope for each of us as we move through different places of understanding. As always, her writing is warm and compassionate, and her personal anecdotes and use of Bible verses serve to drive home important points. While she has obviously spent a lot of time thinking about and weighing her beliefs, she doesn't claim to have all of the answers, which allows the reader to formulate their own thoughts on the matter.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Field Notes for the Wilderness is a courageously hopeful collection of practices set to encourage Christians in their faith. Written specifically to those who feel like they are wandering in the wilderness, disconnected from community and are in the process of deconstructing their faith, Sarah shares from her own experience and the principles she's gently put into practice to find inner healing as well as build spiritual community.

As someone who has recently left the Church and is wrestling with their faith, I find Sarah's writing to be like a beacon of hope and a helpful reminder that although entering and living in the wilderness is painful and grief filled, it doesn't have to always be that way. Sarah oh so kindly reminds us wanderers that there is a great invitation for us to find healing, belonging and to learn how to faithfully orient ourselves toward Love. While not a step-by-step guide book, the principles shared are important foundational values for the faith journey and prepare the way for the accompanying journal mentioned in the book.

As always, Sarah writes in such a relatable way, and reading Field Notes is like receiving a hug from a trusted friend at the time you need it most.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

There is a lot to love in this book, even though I was troubled by some of Bessey's statements.

This book is written with such wonderful compassion. I appreciated Bessey's vulnerability and her warm kindness. There were parts of the book to which I related so much, and it made me feel seen, for which I am very grateful. Her anecdotes were often touching and illustrative. There is also some good information including specific strategies - for example, how to work through grief - which is great, since this book is titled a "Field Guide." However, the strategies are not prescriptive; they are there to try and see what works. (For more specific strategies, I also read her guided journal; I found the questions helpful, so I would recommend that one as well.) I felt that a lot, though not all, of Bessey's statements of God were helpful in reminding the reader of God's love for us and that He does not give up on us. That is hugely important for those of us who are in the middle of reconsidering and/or reconstructing what we believe.

My experience in the church, however, was apparently different from Bessey's, which might be part of why some of her statements bothered me (for example, the idea that evangelicalism "runs on agreed-upon half-truths and lies," when my churches have always been open and gracious, encouraging people to be honest about their feelings, and that therapy is okay, etc.) Some of the criticisms that Bessey levels against religion aren't really against Christianity itself so much as people's misapplication of it (after all, Jesus wept!!). It bothered me that her approach to Scripture felt so inconsistent; she quotes some verses with great reverence and hope, yet she completely disregards others (e.g., she calls God "Mother"... I'm a feminist too, but that doesn't mean we have to call God female). My faith is still what Bessey calls "evolving" (a very useful phrase), but I'm not ready to throw out centuries of scholarship and cherry-pick Bible verses just based on what I like or don't, even though that would be more fun. Maybe if I read some of Bessey's other works, I would get a better understanding of why she calls God "Mother," doesn't believe in Hell, etc., despite what the Bible says. Right now though, it just felt ironic to me since she has a whole chapter on truth.

So, even though Bessey and I are not in the same place in the "wilderness," and I had to take some of her ideas "with a grain of salt," I appreciated her warmth, general thoughtfulness, and her excellent writing. I took notes so I can look back on this book again and again; I hope it will help me get through a difficult season.

I am very grateful for the free eARC, for which I was not required to provide a positive review.