Dr. Denny Bates
This is what Patty Wain Smith has done with her “A Letter to a Friend.” She has masterfully woven a tragic story line into the fabric of a redemptive perspective where the pain is not wasted, but in a spiritual, mysterious, and creative way, is redeemed by the love and grace of God.
She warmly and gently invites the reader into her thoughts as she tells the story in such a way, before long, we all step through the looking glass and enter a world that may not be our own, but if we pause for just a moment, we come to realize it is very familiar to many for whom we deeply care. We might not “know” it, but as the author reminds us, “they are there.”
There is a plethora of books and other fine resources that do an adequate job in giving information about the spiritual epidemic of abuse of all kinds. “A Letter to a Friend” not only highlights the problem of abuse but goes on to give the reader hope of a lasting solution. This contribution to the discussion of abuse needs to be added to the tool box of every clinician, every pastor and denominational leader, every friend who knows someone who is trapped in an abusive relationship, and most of all, this book needs to be in the hands of the one who is gasping for some hope. For them, hope is on the way in the form of “A Letter to a Friend.”