Anna McGahan
Book review by Simon Hill
What is the book about?
This book tells Anna’s story, an aspiring actor who is successful at many things but at the same time unsuccessful at others, and rather insecure—all the way to meeting God in Jesus.
The story is told in sections, which aptly give us the flow of Anna’s understanding of her own body and the human body more generally.
A few of the headings (there are seven in total), which stand out include:
- The body as a Market Place
- The body as a Sanctuary
- The body as a Bride
What was enjoyable about reading this book?
It is a powerful, honest, and raw story which shows us Jesus and the goodness of his community in beautiful ways. If we are honest with ourselves, don’t we all want some type of success that secures us? Towards others and within ourselves? And our physical bodies are so much part of how we market ourselves in and to the world. So, this book was enjoyable as it wrestled with these ideas, in our
modern context of the body, beauty and sexuality.
A favourite quote in the context of a redeemed body, McGahan writes:
“God had made himself at home and called that home ‘good’.”
Brickbats and bouquets
Bouquet: This book was nominated for both the 2020 ECPA Christian Book Award (a global award) and the 2020 Australian Christian Book of the Year.
Who would like to read the book?
Anyone interested in genuine self reflection, but probably not for younger teenagers.
Simon Hill - Simon enjoys thinking and writing about theology, particular seeing it become practical. His academic and professional experience has been in engineering, theology and ministry.
Additional Summer Reading Guide Book Reviews
Stay Salt: The World Has Changed, our Message must not, Rebecca Manley Pippert. Review by Bec Giuliani
Eleanor Oliphant is completely Fine, Gail Honeyman. Review by Susan Harris
The Zookeeper's Wife, Diane Ackerman. Review by Craig Broman
Ministry of a Messy House, Amanda Robbie. Review by Susan Harris
