Nothing could have prepared the Rev. Sharon Risher for the harrowing call she received the night of June 17, 2015. Earlier that day, a young white man had walked into a bible study at the historic Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and murdered nine people, including her beloved mother, Ethel Lee Lance.

Plunged into the depths of despair, anger, shock, and mourning, Sharon could have wallowed in the pain. Instead, she chose the difficult path of forgiveness and hope – eventually forgiving the convicted killer for his crime.

Sharon’s story is one of transformation: How an anonymous hospital chaplain was thrust into the national spotlight, joining survivors of other gun-related horrors as reluctant speakers for a heartbroken social-justice movement. In this raw and riveting memoir of tragedy and faith, Risher invites you into the heartbreaking and intimate details of her family’s story as she learns to trust God’s timing and lean on God's loving presence to guide her steps. Where her faith journey leads her is surprising and inspiring, as she finds a renewed purpose to her life in the company of other survivors. 

The book includes a final chapter, Lessons Learned, to offer readers hope and encouragement for their own journeys through unspeakable tragedy, trauma, and recovery.