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Player wrote this book to share that anyone can escape from a “prison of painful shame” and experience genuine love by “waiting on God and accepting what He has designed for us.” Although Player is a devout Baptist—with God as her lodestar—this memoir can also be read as a spiritual and not strictly religious confirmation of the power of forgiveness. Today’s headlines would call Player “woke.”
Born and reared in Texarkana (on both the Texas and Arkansas sides), Player experiences a cruel childhood, two horrible marriages, and discrimination as a “black girl in a white world.” She never receives love, but always gives it, until she meets Victor later in life. Different backgrounds but similar life struggles ignite a slow courtship guided by God that burns steadily through their eight-year marriage, a never-ending honeymoon. Victor’s colon cancer terminates the marriage but not her faith.
The author’s resolute faith is almost scary. She learns to let things go and forgive, but her firm, strong confidence can be unnerving. She stands her ground against ex-wives, in-laws, and medical professionals with zealous passive resistance. Her non-battles deliver an entertaining read and can also provoke wistful envy over such an unshakable belief. Her journey underlines the spiritual message that forgiveness is a tool that sets you free; others have no power to hurt once you separate the “doings from the doer.” Her faith also charmingly animates the ordinary: flowers, a trip to the store, and even cleaning the kitchen bring joy. Player unlocks the door to love and forgiveness in this remarkable journey from pain to peace. While her Christian faith guides her narrative, her message is one that transcends religion.