Devout, Anna Gazmarian
Devout, Anna Gazmarian
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Devout
A Memoir of Doubt

Author: Anna Gazmarian

Narrator: Rachel LeBlang

Unabridged: 4 hr 51 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/12/2024


Synopsis

A “moving” (Leslie Jamison, author of The Recovering) memoir that reconciles the author’s bipolar disorder diagnosis and her Evangelical faith to create a new framework for which to live.

In this “dazzling” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) memoir, Anna Gazmarian tells the story of how her Evangelical upbringing in North Carolina failed to help her understand the mental health diagnosis she received, and the work she had to do to find proper medical treatment while also maintaining her faith.

When Anna is diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2011, she’s faced with a conundrum: while the diagnosis provides clarity about her manic and depressive episodes, she must confront the stigma that her Evangelical community attaches to her condition. Over the course of ten years, we follow Anna on her journey to reframe her understanding of mental health to expand the limits of what her religious practice can offer.

In Devout: A Memoir of Doubt, Anna shows that pursuing our emotional health and our spiritual well-being is one single mission and, in both cases, an act of faith.

About Anna Gazmarian

Anna Gazmarian holds an MFA in creative writing from the Bennington Writing Seminars. Her essays have been published in The Rumpus, LongreadsThe Sun, and The Guardian. Anna works for The Sun Magazine and lives with her family in Durham, North Carolina.


Reviews

Goodreads review by jay

i can be your angle or yuor devil... a variety of stories (+ some art) about angels told in different formats across different genres by some of my favourite indie authors. as is always the case with anthologies, i liked some stories more and others less... if you like angels being queer, i'm sure you......more

Goodreads review by Ky

MASSIVE thanks to Quinton Li for being added to the Devout Arc team, it has been so fun to just shout at each other in the discord. OKAY I HAVE FINALLY FINISHED. First, I'll give you my thoughts per piece: The Angels at Harvest Church - removed due to author I Know My Father - the story of Jacob wrestl......more

Goodreads review by Morgan

Banger, no notes!......more

Goodreads review by Cloud

4.5 stars~ I honestly don't know how else to describe this but, this one goes out to all the horny?? queers with religious trauma? Honestly though it is beautifully written, emotional, and so human despite the supernatural elements. My personal faves were those by Freydis Moon, Ian Haramaki, Morgan Da......more

Goodreads review by HJ

God I love angels.......more


Quotes

"LeBlang performs this emotionally complex memoir, capturing Gazmarian’s insecurities and doubts as she struggles with her conservative religious community. LeBlang’s narration highlights the tension Gazmarian experiences as she questions her evangelical upbringing and her relief at finding acceptance through her found family."