The Scent of Water Book Review

SUMMARY:  Listen to Naomi's story ... and begin to understand your own
     Follow Naomi as she talks to women working in brothels in Mumbai, survivors of an Indonesian tsunami in which more than 230,000 lives were lost, a young girl waiting on an operation to save her life, and victims of domestic violence horrifically burned by fire.  Be still with her when she realizes the pain she feels in the face of these extreme injustices reveals a common struggle that exists within all of humanity.  And rise with her as she wrestles with confusion over her identity, comes face-to-face with redemption, and then begins to understand her own story ... and find her calling.
     The Scent of Water will open your eyes to the complexities of the world and the healing power of God's grace, showing you that pain can also be beauty, and how each are found in the unlikeliest of places.
     Zacharias doesn't have all the answers.  But she has hope and encouragement that will empower you to find and begin the adventure of your life.

REVIEW:  The Scent of Water:  Grace for Every Kind of Broken is a hard book to read and the most thought-provoking book I've read at the same time.  Naomi tells the stories of women all over the world and the horrors they have had to live through.  My heart goes out to the women who feel trapped and can see no way out of their situations.  Through Wellspring International, Naomi helps local ministries reach out to those women to give them hope and help.  Interweaved throughout the book is Naomi's own story: one of pain, loneliness, hope, and revelations God shows her during her travels and ministry.  This is a great book that will inspire you to live beyond yourself and your own little world and see people as more than their outward appearances.

This book was provided by Zondervan for review without compensation.

Naomi Zacharias graduated from Wheaton College.  After working in sales for Coca-Cola, she joined the staff of RZIM and launched Wellspring International, an initiative devoted to providing financial grants to international efforts working with at-risk women and children.  Naomi has visited with women in red-light districts in The Netherlands, India, and Thailand; foster homes for children affected by HIV/AIDS throughout Asia; hospitals providing surgical treatment for women who have been victims of violence in the Congo; women's prisons in South Africa, displacement camps in Indonesia, Uganda, and Pakistan; areas of the Middle East offering aid to Iraqi refugees; and areas of Southeast Asia devastated by the tsunami of 2004.  She currently lives in Oxford, England.