Permission to Speak Freely: Essays and Art on Fear, Confession, and Grace

Permission to Speak Freely
Essays and Art on Fear, Confession, and Grace
by Anne Jackson

In a sea of brokenness, Anne Jackson breaks the silence by sharing her journey through life, allowing the reader to see honestly into her hurts, addictions and questions. She challenges the reader to consider their own secrets and the possibility of speaking about these things, whether taboo or looked down upon, and doing so freely with the confidence that one might be allowing another with the same hurts and issues a chance to follow their lead. Through essays, poetry and artwork, Anne shares thoughts and responses herself and others have shared related to the question, “What is the one thing you feel you can’t say in the church?”


A little outside of the box in format, Anne’s book is easy to read and follow. Challenging ideas and stories bring about a self-reflective thought process while reading. While a Christian, Anne frankly shares her insider’s view of the way the church seems to handle shushed topics and challenges readers to consider their actions when hearing confessions of another. Whether a church attender or not, any reader can get insightful and helpful information from reading this book in a non-threatening and non-preaching way. Recommended for all adult readers as it addresses an issue everyone has faced, brokenness and the grace we all desire and need to feel accepted.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”