02/05/2024
Morrison, the former prime minister of Australia, debuts with a hit-or-miss account of “what I believe God has done for me through His faithfulness in all my life’s circumstances.” Mixing the political, spiritual, and personal, Morrison discusses, among other topics, the 14 years of infertility he and his wife endured before the births of their two daughters (“One of the greatest challenges for followers of Jesus is to wait in hope”), his government’s attempts to reduce public stigma over anxiety and depression during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the 2021 withdrawal of Australian forces from Afghanistan following the deaths of 41 Australian soldiers since the war’s onset in 2001. (The latter discussion concludes with a somewhat confusing takeaway: “The type of faith that will anchor you in a storm, that will enable you to see blessing in times of defeat... will cost you.”) While Morrison provides an intriguing, behind-the-scenes perspective on the nation’s highest office, his tendency to meander distracts, as when a discussion of not acceding to personal fears evolves into a drawn-out condemnation of China’s militarism and a tangent on Australia’s need to obtain nuclear-powered submarines. This is a mixed bag. (May)
