An Extra Mile

March 26, 2018
Brown (Barefoot) completes her Sensible Shoes series with this heartfelt story of how a commitment to prayer brings together four women after years of personal struggles. As in past installments, the book is broken into four segments with alternating narrators, all of whom met on a Bible study retreat in the series’ first installment: Mara is a newly divorced mother of two feeling trapped in midlife; Hannah, a recently married pastor and stepmother, is thrown into a tailspin when she loses her job; Charissa, a literature professor, fights to keep up with deadlines after becoming pregnant; and Becca, a college student, grieves the loss of her mother. Where previous books gave equal time to each character, this one focuses on one struggle, the “old tapes” of self-flagellating thoughts that Mara frequently hears in her head. Brown’s relatable, realistic book depicts the difficult task of getting to the other side of wounded emotions and private insecurities. Each chapter ends with scripture readings and personal or group discussion questions to facilitate further reflection. Christian readers will find inspiration in the way that each character leans harder into her relationship with God and into the welcoming arms of her friends in this joyful series finale.