Jack Deere

Even in Our Darkness is a memoir by writer and speaker Jack Deere. He describes a lot of pain that he and his family have gone through: His mother had problems with rage and anger. His dad committed suicide when Jack was only 12 years old. His son Scott struggled for years with drugs and alcohol and committed suicide when he was 21 years old. His wife became an alcoholic, and admitted to him after 32 years of marriage that her father had sexually abused her for years when she was a child. He lost deep friendships. It is not a cheerful book. But it is so honest and insightful. He talks about his own struggles with self-righteousness, with his own anger, his failures to love his wife as she needed, and with his relying on his own performance and achievements.

Despite the pain in the book there is something quite compelling about it. It is hard to put down. He is a gifted writer and his utter honesty pulls you in. Basically it is the story of how God stripped him of everything in his life that he could offer to God, until he realized that all he needed was God himself.

It is difficult to read the book without being challenged by your own sinfulness, self-righteousness, and self-dependence. Ultimately though, the book is a testimony of the persevering love of God for us despite our brokenness.

Perhaps bestselling author Ann Voskamp put it best:

It doesn’t happen often, but every once in a while, a gripping book comes along that is profoundly unmasked, unsettling, and unforgettable. I couldn’t put this down: This is one devastating, thought-provoking, and needful read that will change the landscape of your soul.