Twelve Strands is diverse collection of testimonies from authors of vastly different backgrounds and specialising in different genres. In this book, the authors share about how their writing journeys began as well as the triumphs and struggles that they faced along the way.
I appreciate the authors’ honesty when sharing about their struggles and how they persisted through the trials while holding on to their Christian faith. Their struggles range from mental and physical health problems to unfavourable family or political conditions. These vulnerable sharings reveal that the pathways to success are never easy yet the invaluable lessons learnt along the way makes persistence through the trials worth it.
I also learnt from reading their stories that an inherent gifting for a craft does not guarantee success. It takes resilience to hone the craft, courage to step out of one’s comfort zones and most importantly, God’s timing, to achieve success. The stories remind readers that neither failure nor success are permanent in life and God’s purpose for us is not to strive for social success but to use our talents and our sphere of influence to advance His kingdom.
Furthermore, it is a faith-building experience to read about the unexpected and serendipitous ways through which some authors began their writing careers, showing that God can indeed use our unique experiences to create things that show forth His glory.
The chapters are neatly organised and the personal voice of each author is retained. Prior to each section, there is a succinct and effective heading as well as a brief introduction of the author. Though certain sections may seem like a mere listing of events and feel a bit impersonal, they help to provide a fuller understanding of the experiences of the authors and could also be attributed to the personal styles of writings of the individual authors.
All in all, Twelve Strands is a fulfilling read which combines relatable slice-of-life vignettes and awe-inspiring true stories. This book serves as an encouragement for readers engaged (or hope to be engaged) in the craft of writing regardless of skill or experience level. It can also be a satisfying read for anyone who wishes to pursue any God-given passions and hone their talents to make a positive impact in society.
You can view a sample of Twelve Strands here.
This review is written by Charis Ching who took Linguistics as a major in university and is on a journey to find out how that can be useful (or not) in society. She loves dancing and is developing an interest for writing poems in her free time.