Audio Book: Love Warrior

Love Warrior
by Glennon Doyle

Length: 7 hrs 45 min

Format: Audiobook
Price:  Free via Overdrive
How I Heard:  I follow her on Instagram since reading Carry On Warrior

Basic Premise: This memior chronicles the story of Glennon's marriage, how she handled her husband's shocking infidelity, and how she was able to rise and continue with her marriage, raising their three children, and living life.

My Take: 9 out of 10 (scale here)

I fully intended to read this book right after it came out, but I got busy and then kind of forgot. And then I was playing that game where your last audio book has expired and the book you really want isn't available, so you sort of search whatever you can think of that sounds interesting because you don't want to start doing laundry and going on your morning walk without one. Somehow this one popped up and was available, so I snagged it. I knew this book was about Glennon's marriage. I also knew her marriage ended the week the book was released. Lastly, knowing Glennon through her other book, her blog, and her social media presence, I knew it would be very poignant and honest.

Love Warrior did not disappoint. It was raw and authentic (and included language that would have made listening out loud difficult with my kids around) and gut-wrenching, as her writing usually is. It was also wonderfully simple, as her writing usually is. She can say a lot with only a few words, and her skill puts her right up there with Lewis in my book. Her circumstances, flanked by her history with substance abuse and eating disorders discussed at length in Carry On Warrior, and revisited to a lesser extent in this book, are the sort you would see in a movie. Maybe one day, we will!

Listening to a book is always different than reading it. Glennon reads it herself (another thing I love about audio books...when the author reads it!), and she has a high, sort of tinny voice. As I always listen to books at at least 1.25 speed, she sounded a little like a chipmunk. I had to slow it down to curb the effect. But otherwise, I really did enjoy this book. It's hard for me to fathom an experience like the one she describes here (and I both hope and expect to keep it that way!), but reading books like this, in addition to increasing my compassion, makes me grateful for my own blessings.