BY MARSHA DUCILLE 

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Sarah Jakes’ memoir, Lost and Found, is one of the most engaging (and juicy) books that I’ve read. And, with my job, I receive scores of books. Fornication, teen pregnancy, infidelity, shameful lies, hatred church folks, a strip club, secret children, a painful divorce – there’s enough drama for a box-office hit. As the daughter of renowned preacher, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Sarah took a risk telling everything. I would give you all the titillating details, but my close friend (Cheri) has already called me a “spoiler.” But I would be remiss not to share just a tad!

While reading Lost and Found, I was thrown onto an emotional roller coaster. I experienced an array of reactions – from shock, sadness, and guilt ... to amusement, frustration, and relief. But at no point did I experience boredom. In fact, after a very long and tiring day, I read the entire book in one night. It was that good! I’m telling you, if you’ve ever hit rock bottom, Lost and Found will give you hope. It’s for any woman who has felt confused, judged, alone, or ashamed. That’s pretty much all of us. During my conversation with Sarah, she shared, “I believe that God has called me to be a voice to those who feel disqualified because of their past, or think that they don’t deserve better because of their mistakes. I’m here to say that our mistakes don’t have to destroy our destinies. God can turn any situation around. With the Lord’s grace, we can be teen-moms and best-selling authors. We can be divorcees and international speakers. Our mistakes don’t have to ruin our lives.”