Not Worth Mentioning

“Let Go” by Shelia Walsh is titled right, has a great theme, but fails to present a message. Intended to “reach” women and address their deepest burdens, this book falls incredibly short of its goal and comes off as nothing more than “writer has a contract and must meet a deadline.” When I saw the title and backmatter, I had a lot of hope for this book. It is difficult for me to write “negative” reviews, but quite frankly, I think people want to spend their money wisely and the contents within are not worth the cover price.

Each chapter begins with a story…of sorts. Chapter after Chapter, I was left at the end of the story wondering why it was chosen and exactly “what’s the point?” There were nice quotes at the beginning of the chapters, although editing missed that the same one was used at the beginning of two different chapters. Overall, I felt as if I was being talked down to throughout the book. It was VERY difficult to even get through the book…I could have easily put it down and not picked it up again. The writing was terribly organized and there simply was no direction in thought. I would finish a chapter and wonder, “where is this going?” I simply didn’t get anything out of it. The message of the book came across as if Ms. Walsh is completely out of touch with the average woman’s struggles. It’s not about whether you look good in a particular blouse, whether or not someone invites you to a party, or what restaurant to go to…women are struggling with being single mothers, alcoholic abusive spouses, crippling diseases, children who are drug addicts, etc. It’s not about God’s grace being sufficient for getting you through a steak dinner in a restaurant with pictures of topless women and encouraging you to sing hymns through it all. Actually I’d call that a waste of God’s precious grace. I’m still trying to figure out why you would stay in a restaurant like that with your young child…there are grocery stores open 24 hours a day…you can get a sandwich. I’m sorry to say that I would NOT recommend this book.