Wm. Anthony Baxter Sr

As the pastor of a church in Seattle, Baxter often shares his personal experiences in dealing with rejection and abandonment during his childhood and younger years as he ministers to his congregation and others in his community. In my own journey of combatting the effects of rejection in my own life, I found that Baxter's recounting of his experiences and journey toward healing spoke to me. I learned how to recognize how rejection and abandonment experienced at different times in my life had spilled over and spread out into other areas of my life, just like a tree's root system. And then, healing began. I've started rebuilding my life, developing a stronger sense of confidence, and returning to the basics of faith.

If you're expecting a book with lots of psychological terminologies and the structure of a sappy memoir, this isn't the book you're looking for. Baxter's straight-up, tell-it-like-it-is narrative style may make some people uncomfortable. But he also has a heart for helping people find a better way out of their pain, and as I read more of the chapters, I could see that. And if you're looking for a starting point, start by reading this book.