Child of Promise: One Woman's Journey from Tragedy to Triumph. (faith).

Child of Promise: One Woman's Journey from Tragedy to Triumph by Cheryl Green Broadman & Holman Publishers, May 2001, $12.99, ISBN 0-8054-2440-7

It's easy to have faith when times are good, It's the hard times that become a test. But what if life seems to be a constant test? How do you build your faith? Cheryl Green was born with a rare condition called arthrogryposis multiplex congenital that left her with undeveloped lower limbs, or "a mangled mess" as she describes it. Despite this, and the continual abuse from her mentally ill parents and others, she grew in her faith through a painful search for a personal relationship with God.

A Child of Promise is a story of inspiration and hope. Everything in Green's life could have been read as a sign to give up. But the frightened and confused child forged on until she found her own answers.

The beauty of this story is that the ending is authentic. Green finds that graduating from Yale University, becoming a disability advocate in Washington, D.C., and being the president/CEO of a national organization, cannot erase the pain or fill the void she has felt all her life. But in a moment of clarity she let go of "what was" and embraced "what is." In the process, she found acceptance of her mother, whom she now cares for, and acceptance as mother to her sister's children. Her search for a purpose led her right back to family and a sense of belonging.

Despite the author's confusing way of jumping from childhood to adulthood, and repeating scenes, Child of Promise is a must-read for survivors of abuse who have been unable to let go. It will make you sensitive to the disabled community. It will also make you cry. --Reviewed by Monica Z. Utsey Monica Z. Utsey is a freelance writer living in Washington, D.C.