My Path of Faith: A Life's Journey Learning How to See, Live and Love Through Jesus' Eyes is a work of non-fiction in the form of a memoir penned by author Barbie Schuchart-Carlisle. As well as uncovering the dark traumas of her life in the pages of this harrowing personal drama, the author also offers hope in the form of describing how she recovered from tragedy through the discovery of Christian faith. Barbie’s tale takes us through her feelings of abandonment and worthlessness at the hands of multiple kinds of abuse, before engaging directly with readers to describe her close relationship with God, and how the development of such a relationship can help others who have also suffered abuse in their lives.

Suitable for adult readers due to triggering depictions of physical abuse (some photographic), and moderate descriptions of both mental and sexual abuse, this is truly a tale which takes readers from darkness into light as it progresses. Author Barbie Schuchart-Carlisle writes with an intense emotional honesty about her troubled past, and how the feelings instilled in her then continued to affect her well into her adult life and relationships. Her relationship with her mother was very interesting to unpick, but also dreadful to hear about, and further testament to the power it took for Barbie to rise up and find love and faith in her future despite that treatment. Overall, My Path of Faith: A Life’s Journey Learning to Love is a book which gives what it promises and so much more. Highly recommended for true-life story fans and Christian readers.

Can a woman who has suffered physical and verbal abuse find a way to live her life well? Will she ever be able to accept herself and finally find some peace? According to Barbie Schuchart-Carlisle, this is difficult but not impossible. In her touching memoir My Path of Faith, Schuchart-Carlisle reveals how sad and complicated her life was and how she resisted thanks to her faith. She recalls her mother’s hate and sharp criticism while she was a child and a young woman, her two rapes, and all the troubles and unhappy experiences she had to face. And yet, even in the most difficult times, Schuchart-Carlisle always trusted in God. In My Path of Faith, this brave woman shares with the reader her pain, joy, and the lessons she learned along the way.

Despite many sorrowful events, My Path of Faith is delicate rather than a harsh book. Schuchart-Carlisle’s faith illuminates every page and gives a message of hope to readers. She makes it clear that God is everywhere, even in the worst circumstances. I am deeply moved by Schuchart-Carlisle’s honesty, which adds color to her story with the intensity that only real life has. I also like that the author summarizes at the end of each chapter what she learned during her personal journey. This makes her aim clearer and helps readers to sympathize with her and understand the purpose of her memoir. I think that something will remain with readers for a long time after they finish My Path of Faith.

My Path of Faith: A Life's Journey Learning How to See, Live and Love Through Jesus' Eyes by Barbie Carlisle is her life journey that has been full of struggle, pain, and lack of love. From an early age, she endured her mother's neglect and emotional abuse. In her mother's eyes, Barbie could not do anything right. The only love she remembers receiving was from her father. Even he never stopped her mother from demeaning Barbie. Their extent of neglect toward Barbie knew no bounds. When Barbie revealed that she was raped by her date, her mother asked her to move out of the house, and her father did not find the courage to stop this injustice. With nothing to compare to, she fell into many abusive relationships with men who claimed to have loved her. Amidst all this chaos, she surrendered herself to God's will. Whenever she did something good for others or stood up against wrong, she always gave credit to God by saying, "It wasn't me. It's God in me." Enduring so much grief and yet keeping an unwavering faith in God is no small accomplishment.

The author is remarkably talented. She has included her poetry, her interpretation of the scripture, and how the scripture applies to her life throughout the book. This is a unique approach to guide readers to actually look at their own lives through the eyes of faith. Although she constantly felt lonely, Barbie realized that she was never really alone. God was always with her. The moment she embraced Him in her life and heart, she understood that she would never be alone. Having faith does not mean that she doesn't regret some of the decisions that she had made; it only means that she would believe God in healing her heart and showing her the right way. Parents' neglect can break a person and that is evident in this memoir. Nevertheless, faith can definitely save even the most broken soul. I would recommend this book to readers who are looking for faith, hope, and love in their lives.