The Girl in the Orange Dress: Searching for a Father Who Does Not Fail
201
The Girl in the Orange Dress: Searching for a Father Who Does Not Fail
201eBook
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Overview
Golden Scroll Nonfiction Book of the Year
"Chosen." "Special." Those are the words Margot Starbuck used to describe herself as a child adopted into a loving family. And when her adoptive parents divorced, her dad moved east, and her mom and dad each got remarried, she told herself that she was extra loved, since she had more than two parents and people in different times zones who cared about her.
But the word she really believed about herself was rejected. First by her birthparents. Then by her adoptive father-when he moved away. Then by her stepfather. Then by her birthfather a second time, when she tried to invite him into her life.
Most of all, Margot felt rejected by God the Father, who she also suspected could not be trusted. Margot's story begins with a woman looking for her biological father. But it doesn't end when she finds him. Instead, his rejection punctures her soul and sends her on a different search--one that leads to a different Father. This Father did not just "sacrifice a son" like the parents she knew, but instead gave his own life out of love for her.
Maybe you've been disappointed and wounded by parents who divorced, left, were abusive, or simply weren't there. Enter into Margot's story. She has been where you are. She knows the pain you carry. And her journey can lead you to the God who nurtures, protects and always says, "I am for you."
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780830877881 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | IVP |
| Publication date: | 09/25/2009 |
| Sold by: | Bookwire |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 201 |
| File size: | 951 KB |
About the Author
Margot Starbuck is a writer and speaker who cares deeply about what it means to follow Jesus in the sneakers, pumps or Doc Martens in which we find ourselves. She is passionate about communicating God's great love for the world--inextricably bound to God's love for individuals--in print and in speech.
Margot studied art at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. At the beach and in dorm rooms, she began to notice the bind in which women find themselves today, specifically as they're pinched by the culture's insistence on the value of appearances. She was further equipped to process these issues theologically at Princeton Seminary. Today, Margot continues to be energized by the kingdom reality of God's big plan for our bodies which have been called good.
Her first book, The Girl in the Orange Dress, describes the way she came to know that the God who "so loved the world" cared deeply for her. Her second book, Unsqueezed, is about that inextricable love setting people free to be agents of the new kingdom Jesus ushered in.
When she's not writing books, Margot pops up online in places like Relevant, Kyria and New Christian Voices. Though disheartened by much of Christian culture's silent insistence on keeping up appearances--namely, by simply doing it--Margot is regularly inspired by those countercultural heroes and communities who are exercising different practices. (For a sane perspective on body image, she recommends TrueCampaign, an organization partnering with Food for the Hungry to transfer resources from personal self-improvement to global survival.)
Right now, Margot is writing a lot about what it looks like for normal-ish folks to exercise love and justice in our cars, at the grocery store and in our neighborhoods. When audiences invite her to speak about how we can live with less stress, or spend more time with God, or grow in our faith, she still often seems to end up right there where the recycled rubber meets the road.
Margot Starbuck is a writer and speaker who cares deeply about what it means to follow Jesus in the sneakers, pumps or Doc Martens in which we find ourselves. She is passionate about communicating God's great love for the world--inextricably bound to God's love for individuals--in print and in speech.
Margot studied art at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. At the beach and in dorm rooms, she began to notice the bind in which women find themselves today, specifically as they're pinched by the culture's insistence on the value of appearances. She was further equipped to process these issues theologically at Princeton Seminary. Today, Margot continues to be energized by the kingdom reality of God's big plan for our bodies which have been called good.
Her first book, The Girl in the Orange Dress, describes the way she came to know that the God who "so loved the world" cared deeply for her. Her second book, Unsqueezed, is about that inextricable love setting people free to be agents of the new kingdom Jesus ushered in.
When she's not writing books, Margot pops up online in places like Relevant, Kyria and New Christian Voices. Though disheartened by much of Christian culture's silent insistence on keeping up appearances--namely, by simply doing it--Margot is regularly inspired by those countercultural heroes and communities who are exercising different practices. (For a sane perspective on body image, she recommends TrueCampaign, an organization partnering with Food for the Hungry to transfer resources from personal self-improvement to global survival.)
Right now, Margot is writing a lot about what it looks like for normal-ish folks to exercise love and justice in our cars, at the grocery store and in our neighborhoods. When audiences invite her to speak about how we can live with less stress, or spend more time with God, or grow in our faith, she still often seems to end up right there where the recycled rubber meets the road.
Table of Contents
1 My Perfect Childhood
2 Dumpster Diving and Other Social Disasters
3 Love Child
4 Sleuthing Around
5 Welcome to Oz
6 One Wily Emotion Chip
7 Looking for Love in Too Many Faces
8 Stranded in a Scorpion Desert
9 Claimed by the Good Tribe
10 God's Cool Tatoo
Acknowledgments
What People are Saying About This
"Margot Starbuck takes us on a lovely and challenging journey, searching for herself, her family and her faith along the way."
— Shauna Niequist, author of Cold Tangerines
"This is a story hard to put down. It is a fascinating read. Margot's ability to capture the essence of the search--not just for her biological father, but ultimately for her heavenly Father--is intriguing, unique and most of all--real. Throughout the book, I felt like a fellow traveler, quietly joining in her journey . . . encouraging her on. This book is a must-read for anyone who might find themselves on a similar search--one of a lifetime."
— Jayne Schooler, author of The Whole Life Adoption Book
"I haven't felt this much emotion from a memoir since reading Angela's Ashes. Outrage, grief, joy and humor mingle together in Margot Starbuck's book, drawing the reader into her experiences in a way that leaves one feeling neither like judge nor voyeur, just a friend on the journey. Humbly honest, graciously hilarious, evocative, The Girl in the Orange Dress is for anyone who needs to know, really needs to know, how much God loves his children."
— Lisa Samson, award-winning author of Quaker Summer, Justice in the Burbs and The Church Ladies
"Starbuck gets it--what many fail to understand about how much it hurts to lose your parents at birth. Being relinquished, that is, given away, and then taken by others can be a core injury to the developing human heart. In her early years, Starbuck denies it, then fights it, then feels it. She negotiates the troubled waters of sorrow and 'second rejection' suffering when Max, her father by birth, says 'No' instead of 'Hello.' Finally, she rests her heart in the Lord's care and discovers her deepest identity in Jesus Christ. Lightly and delightfully written, this autobiography is a great read for those who want to understand more about the agony of abandonment and the joy of belonging."
— Ronald Nydam, Ph.D., author of Adoptees Come of Age
"The desire for a father who sees, knows, hears and loves us is the quintessential longing in every girl's heart.In The Girl in the Orange Dress, Margot Starbuck chronicles her own search for a Father who doesn't fail her, and the good news is she lands us right in the heart of God: the one who accepts us and never fails us.Thank you, Margot, for sharing your journey and reminding us once again that he is the only one that can truly fill our longing for 'perfect' on earth."
— Jennifer Strickland, speaker and author of Girl Perfect: Confessions of a Former Runway Model (www.jenniferstrickland.net)
"Will this book be made into a movie? A TV series? A graphic novel? Well, it oughta. Margot Starbuck's story has legs, and it'll captivate anyone who has a chance to hear it, in whatever way they can. Her easygoing style spins this unique yarn into an every(wo)man tale that can speak to us all."
— Patton Dodd, senior editor, Beliefnet.com, and author of My Faith So Far
"Simply put, this is a brilliant book. Beautifully written, it's a must-read for all of us who realize our deepest longing is for a true experience of our real Father. Don't miss this book!"
— Paula Rinehart, author of Strong Women, Soft Hearts and Better Than My Dreams
"A lovely journey through family, failure and friendships to finally find a Father who does not fail. Sure to charm and challenge all spiritually minded seekers and sojourners."
— Patricia Raybon, author of I Told the Mountain to Move
"With this book, Margot Starbuck unleashes her new, very welcome voice. She narrates the Christian spiritual life with winsome humor and (occasionally scary) honesty.Pretty much every woman I know will be getting The Girl in the Orange Dress for her birthday."
— Lauren F. Winner, author of Girl Meets God