A Review of Help, Thanks, Wow, by Anne Lamott

Help Thanks Wow: Three Essential Prayers by Anne Lamott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I wish I could talk to my dear friend, the late Carter Shelley, a Presbyterian minister, about this wonderful, wise and funny book. I know she would love it as I do and as I loved everything I have read by Anne Lamott--in fact, it was Carter who gave me Bird by Bird to read!

Why do I love it and why do I think others will? I think they will because Lamott has tackled a subject that many of us find uncomfortable: our prayer life (or lack thereof) and she has done so in way that is funny and wise and incisive. I have never felt I was good at prayer (besides the fire engine/911 versions: God, HELP ME NOW, I've screwed up... I'm in big trouble...). This little book helped me to rethink how to pray and why.

According to her there are 3 essential prayers: Help, Thanks, and Wow: "asking for assistance, appreciating the good that gets us through the day, and feeling awe at the world" and these 3 prayers can help us "get through the day and show us the way forward." She discusses how she sorted this out and explains what these insights "have meant to her over the years and how they've helped" (jacket). She does so with her usual good humor and honesty; I was laughing and nodding my head as I read this book.

Good stuff. And it helped, really. I feel better about praying.

If you are a Lamott fan, you will love this book. I just wish I could talk to Carter about it.



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