The Other Side of Darkness

I am a big fan of Melody Carlson, and this book is no exception. Ruth is a woman with some deep-seated problems, like OCD and issues with her mother that make her feel unworthy. These problems make her very vulnerable to Pastor Glenn and his religious zeal. Convinced that she must do constant spiritual warfare and cast out demons, Ruth endangers her finances, her marriage, and finally her own life. The Other Side of Darkness lets the reader in on how seemingly good Christian people can get "sucked in" to the fanatical side of religion. Often I have wondered how and why people could join cults. This book made me see that it is easy for someone who has weaknesses in some areas of his life can be molded and given suggestions until that person completely "buys in" to the wrong teachings. While the book did not necessarily have a "happy" ending, it was realistic and gave the reader hope that Ruth would continue in the right direction. This is a great book, and I highly recommend it.