In her uplifting memoir, The Anchor in My Storms: The Grip That Held Me, Evelyn Brinkley documents her survival through severe childhood trauma, life-threatening medical issues, painful family losses, and ultimately, restoration. She covers her traumatic birth and earlier years as a child born out of wedlock after her mother survived sexual assault. Early in life, she resolves not to carry shame and to become resilient. She shares how she learned discipline through her different careers, which helped her survive the difficult periods that would follow. She also includes her battle with leukemia, including the divine miracle she experienced, her mother’s diagnosis, her marriage, and the lessons she has learned. Hardship struck again after other heartbreaking tragedies tore through her home and a medical crisis almost took her life. Brinkley shares her story as proof that no darkness is too great for God’s restoration and that faith is an unshakable anchor.

I loved that beyond sharing her story, the memoir is a spiritual resource with comforting biblical passages, declarations, reflection sections, and prayers. Brinkley writes with authenticity, offering raw accounts of her darkness in which she questioned God’s presence. I found her story encouraging, and anyone navigating pain or the disappointment and disillusionment that arise from loss will find her testimony relatable and hopeful. The memoir is also a beautiful and heartfelt portrait of motherhood. In one instance, she is committed to holding her newborn daughter while fighting leukemia. Her story also demonstrates how we can transform scars into care and service for others in our community. The Anchor in My Storms: The Grip That Held Me by Evelyn Brinkley is an awe-inspiring personal testimony that shows how no life is too broken for God to restore. It will leave its readers feeling seen and empowered to believe that their own pain and waiting are never wasted.

The Anchor in My Storms: The Grip That Held Me by Evelyn Brinkley is a rare work of faith, strength, and spirituality, a hidden gem amid the ocean of autobiographical literature. This memoir has a solid and strong voice: the story of a woman who, during her life, has endured unimaginable and unbearable experiences of loss and illness, marked by a traumatic birth; she was conceived through rape. As if that were not enough, she experienced leukemia, the early deaths of two sons, the disappearance of a daughter, an aneurysm rupture, and a stroke. These adversities would shatter anyone, but not Evelyn, who, after her sorrowful vicissitudes, has always found new strength and meaning in her faith in God. It is this supernatural confidence that gave the author a miraculous opportunity to recover.

The Anchor in My Storms: The Grip That Held Me is not a collection of miracles, but a compassionate account of a woman who demonstrated her profound faith to the world and transformed grief into support for people who are cast out or plagued by emotional or physical discomfort. Evelyn Brinkley’s work is a wonderful testimony of how tears can be turned into a mission and life purpose. Her personal and heartbreaking ordeals convey the message that even amid the most awful storms, God always allows healing and recovery. She conveys her message with a lyrical writing style, intentional repetition of words, and private photos that create profound emotional emphasis and turn her memoir into a real masterpiece of nonfiction literature. A highly recommended read.