Featured Titles - Biography

Grammy award-winning music artist Mandisa tells an inspiring story of peaks and valleys, trials and joys, wins and losses. Through her gripping narrative, she shows that our choice to trust God can not only overcome our need to understand why bad things happen, but can help us to embrace a life of joy and freedom.

Out of the Dark is Mandisa's exploration of the journey she's taken from when she first became a Christian, to her rise as an American Idol finalist and receiving multiple Grammy and Dove Award nominations, as well as the dark and challenging times she experienced along the way. She writes personally and openly about the hardships she has faced and the way she felt betrayed by God, but also about how God has brought her out of the valley into His glorious light. Along the way, she also shares her struggles in learning how to love her body and care for her health.

Just as Mandisa's Grammy-award winning song "Overcomer" was topping the Contemporary Christian Music charts, her friend for whom "Overcomer" had been written passed away. After losing this close friend to cancer, despite years of prayers on her behalf, Mandisa descended into depression, isolating herself and turning to her familiar friend, food, for comfort.

Throughout Out of the Dark, Mandisa uses her experiences to address the following themes:

In the darkness, Mandisa knew God was there--but she wondered if she could trust Him. Even at her lowest point where she saw no human way forward, God was at work, powerfully redeeming her story and calling her out of the dark.

Mandisa tells her story with warmth and vulnerability, challenging us all to focus on God's purpose for our lives, surround ourselves with friends who will fight for us, and face life's challenges with courage and faith. If you've ever found yourself in a dark place as the result of grief, depression, or loss, Mandisa's story will reassure you that even when you're walking through dark valleys, God can and will lead you on a path to joy and hope.

Discover the heart and soul of one of the most influential women in modern church history! Best-selling author Vaughn uses Elliot's private unpublished journals and candid interviews with Elisabeth's family and friends to tell the story of a sensitive, radical, and surprisingly relatable believer utterly submitted to doing God's will. Foreword by Joni Eareckson Tada. 320 pages, hardcover from B&H.

Some memories are permanently seared into our childhood brains with a hot iron of adrenaline and fear. For five-year-old Greg, it was the memory of his ma walking back to the house after confronting his stepdad with a splintered, bloodied baseball bat in her hand.

Greg Stier was raised in a family of bodybuilding, tobacco-chewing, fist-fighting thugs. He never knew his biological father because his mom had met his dad at a party; she got pregnant, and he left town. Though his mom almost aborted him, in a last-minute twist, Greg's life was spared for so much more.

Unlikely Fighter is the incredible story of how God showed up in Greg's life--and how he can show up in yours as well. This is a memoir of violence and mayhem--and how God can transform everything.

As one of only two survivors of a devastating plane crash, Okwuchi didn't just escape---she emerged with courage, godly self-confidence, and a fireproof testimony of the Lord's faithfulness. You'll be captivated and inspired by her story and challenged by her determination to live truthfully and beautifully in the world. Foreword by Simon Cowell. 240 pages, softcover from Baker.

Yancey invites us into the inner recesses of his family to uncover the roots that drove two brothers to opposite extremes---one reeling from the impact of a "toxic" fundamentalist faith, the other staggering down a path of self-destruction. From a trailer in the Bible Belt to the streets of Philadelphia, he traces his search for compassion and redemption. 320 pages, hardcover from Convergent.

Whether it's her work today as a host and reporter for Fox News, her years in law school, or the time she spent competing in pageants like Miss America, Shannon Bream has spent the bulk of her adult life stumbling through high-pressure environments in which it often seems like you need to feign perfection in order to survive. But in this laugh-out-loud book of stories and inspiration, Shannon shares the moments behind the glamour and make up, in which she learned that the values and faith of her blue-collar upbringing could keep her grounded in a world where everyone wants you to be something other than what you are.

Pastor Benny Tate never faced a time that wasn’t filled with obstacles. Each season of life came with setbacks that often seemed insurmountable: the abusive father figure who tormented Benny and his mother, the lack of guidance in his early adulthood, and the illness and infertility he and his wife battled in their marriage.

Yet in every crisis, God was there to redeem pain for glory, transforming Benny’s life into a moving testament to His power. Through his struggles, Benny’s faith grew as he saw how God provided him with the strength, wisdom, and resources he needed to overcome each staggering challenge placed before him.

In parts a memoir that will tug on your heartstrings, a guide to get you through tough times, and a reminder to never see yourself as the victim of your own life, Defy the Odds will inspire your soul as it proves that you follow a God who can—and will—see you through the impossible.

"Pastoral care can be achingly lonely work. [Collier] portrays [this] Presbyterian minister as a thoughtful, kind, fiery, and whimsical man of God. Peterson's deep knowledge of the Bible, open heart for wounded and wandering souls, and wise boundaries for family life and Sabbath rest, are an encouragement to all who [care] for a community of faith,"---Christianity Today. 368 pages, softcover. Waterbrook.

• In 1967, Joni's life was dramatically altered when a diving accident left her paralyzed. For more than four decades, the story of her earnest struggle to find hope and help others has resonated with millions of readers worldwide. This commemorative 45th anniversary edition features updated photos and a new afterword detailing her life today. 224 pages, softcover from Zondervan.

A true story about making the most of your one incredible life.

Stacey Morgan kissed her husband goodbye before he donned his space suit on July 20, 2019, and headed to his waiting Soyuz rocket. With an overwhelming mix of pride, excitement, and terror, she and her children held hands and watched the rocket ignite and lift off for a nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

This is the story of the astronaut's wife--a journey full of unexpected twists and turns. While the love of her life orbited the Earth, Stacey was about to embark on a knock-your-socks-off adventure right here at home. This season would be different from any Stacey had experienced before. The risks were greater, the loneliness was deeper, and the stress was more intense. Filled with as many unique challenges as surreal opportunities, this deeply meaningful season taught her rich lessons about:

Containing behind-the-scenes glimpses into a side of space flight that most of us will never experience, The Astronaut's Wife is a funny, poignant, and meaningful exploration of living life to the fullest-no matter where you roam.

For decades, his family rescued lost and forgotten donkeys in the Irish countryside. He had no idea that one day, the donkeys would rescue him.

Patrick Barrett grew up on the back of a donkey. In the small village of Liscarroll, the young boy helped his family run a sanctuary for abandoned and abused donkeys. Struggling in school, Patrick only felt truly accepted in the presence of these funny, fuzzy, touching animals. It was like magic, how he and the donkeys understood each other. He became a true “donkey whisperer”—reading their body language, communicating with them in ways they could understand, and teaching himself how to “speak” in their distinctive calls.

But when Patrick was of age, he shipped out with the Irish Army and encountered unimaginable wartime horrors in Lebanon and Kosovo. In the aftermath, he returned home a broken man, sinking into the depths of PTSD and addictions. He believed nothing could save him. But he hadn’t counted on the donkeys.

Sanctuary is the remarkable true story of how faith turned one lost man’s life around with the help of the rescue animals who loved him. It’s an antidote to despair and a call to hope, revealing the beauty and wonder of Ireland as you’ve never seen it before.

How did an ordinary family produce two Grammy Award-winning artists---Rebecca St. James and King & Country? Helen Smallbone shares about her daughter's rise to fame; the family's move from Australia to America; the years of touring; Joel and Luke's success; the careers of her other children; and how a local church gave them hope! 256 pages, hardcover from K-Love.