Cornell Bunting is in a dire situation. After being released from a wrongful conviction, he has no place to go. His business partner and friend admits she harbors deeper feelings for him and wants to get married. Despite not having any romantic interest in her, he proceeds with the marriage, so that his children would have a roof over their head. Would this hastily made decision be a sensible decision as well?
The book begins with a prelude and is divided into eighteen chapters. Each chapter ends with a motivational quote. The author writes in a simple, eloquent language that flows smoothly. There were many parts of the book where I highlighted some lines that resonated with me. I particularly liked this one:
Escaping a Life Sentence is an example of what happens when we let fear take over and make our decisions for us. Cornell marries his friend out of fear that he won’t have a place to stay if he doesn’t marry her. He doesn’t stop to think for a bit if there were any other way to handle the situation. The most important question that he doesn’t ask himself is whether he is marrying her out of love, or is he doing it out of convenience.I have realized that stressing about the perfect choice is not worth the price of an inability to appreciate the moment while it’s actually happening.
Do we need to trust God when every direction is full of uncertainties, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel? The author answers this question by dissecting the consequences of his choices and explaining the painful experiences he went through that helped him reconnect with God. I appreciated how the author objectively analyzes his decisions and points out what went wrong and why, without criticizing them. I can take that thinking process and apply it to my life also.
The author doesn’t construct a narrative where he pins the blame for everything going wrong in his marriage on his partner. He also explains how he contributed to the dynamic. Neither does he force his beliefs on you, nor does he try to garner sympathy for enduring the unjust treatment at the hands of other people. He focuses on how he emerged from the challenging times and started listening to his inner voice again.
For someone who was incarcerated wrongly, made unwise choices, and made improvements in his life by trusting God, this short and simple book surely is inspirational. It gives you hope that a new beginning is possible, even if you waver in your faith. All we need to do is trust God.
There is nothing that I dislike about Escaping a Life Sentence. However, I found more than ten grammatical errors, for which I have to lower my rating. I give Escaping a Life Sentence 3 out of 4 stars. If not for the editing issues, it deserves a full rating. There is no profanity or any sexually explicit detail in the book.
It is a warm and reassuring book for anyone who has ever been in an emotionally abusive relationship. People who are going through trying times and feel that God has abandoned them will find this book edifying and comforting.
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Escaping A Life Sentence
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