Book Review: Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints by Daneen Akers

 While dealing with this Coronavirus a pandemic and being stuck at home all the time, I decided to respond to an email asking to apply to be a book reviewer through a faith based organization called "Speakeasy." I like reading, having read over fifty books in two out of the last three calendar years (New Years resolutions).  Anyways, long story short, the first book I signed up to receive was Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints by Daneen Akers.

I knew nothing about the book aside from how, if you know anything about me, the descriptive 'holy troublemaker' intrigued me immediately. The book itself reminded me of the "Rebel Girls" series that we bought for our daughters, though rather than just profiling women, focused on exactly what the title describes, holy troublemakers and unconventional saints.

I appreciated how even though it is obviously written to a Christian audience (or more specifically, a more progressive Christian or the type of Christian who would be attracted to a book about troublemakers and unconventional), by no means did the author, Daneen Akers, focus on Christians only. Many of the people in the book have ministries focused on LGBT inclusion or ecumenism, and it was great to learn or be reminded of how a calling from God does not need or require acceptance and affirmation from other Christians/ faith leaders. So many of the people in the book went against the grain, following their own God given (I believe) intutions, all of their stories incredibly inspiring and ultimately encouraging if read while going through similar situations of their own.

As a father of two girls, ages eight and five, I have no qualms using this book as a nightly devotional with them. I am excited about the opportunities and conversations the book with spark.

PS- What a great surprise to open the book to find a chapter on one of my friends, Cindy Wang Brandt! Telling my girls about how I know her was fun, and a good teaching moment for me to remind them that they don't need to be famous to be worth profiling in a book... they just need to be confident in acting on their intuition and to always do what they feel is right.