Surprised By Life

A quarter century and half a million copies later (including foreign and foreign-language editions), this is the fourth volume in the celebrated “Surprised By” series of books by Patrick Madrid — Surprised by Life. Here are ten new personal testimonies that go beyond scriptural, historical, and doctrinal apologetics and deep into the tumultuous territory of life issues, including the tragic and sudden loss of a young-adult child, the pain of miscarriage, abortion, contraception, hedonism, promiscuity, drug and alcohol abuse, and even prostitution. None of these testimonies of God’s forgiveness and healing love are titillating or salacious, but all are raw and honest, in ways reminiscent of St. Augustine’s raw and honest, but never titillating, Confessions. Each of these testimonies brims with the real-life life issues faced today by many folks, including persons we love and even those in our families. Chapters: — Introduction, Patrick Madrid — Aunt Amy Saves My Baby, Heather Schieder — Call Girl to Catholic, AnneMarie Schreiber — Abortion to Adoration, Jewels Green  — A Texas Baptist Meets the Good Shepherd in Rome, Leticia Ochoa Adams — Fr. Ryan and the Women’s Clinic, Leila Miller  — From One Holocaust to Another, Chris Aubert  — Little Miracles Leading from Death to Life, Doreen Campbell — Goodbye, Contraception; Hello, NFP!, Shaun and Jessica McAfee  — Bye, Bye, Boys and Booze, Shalimar Masters  — Painful Lessons of the Heart, Lisa Duffy