Prodigal Daughter - by Deborah Rutherford (Paperback)

About the Book

Poet Deborah Rutherford presents a "beauty for ashes" memoir in verse. From a stolen childhood to spiritual homecoming, Prodigal Daughter maps a pilgrimage through five movements of grace, proving no one is ever too far gone for Love.

Book Synopsis

You can come home again.

Prodigal Daughter is a lyrical journey from a stolen childhood and the "gold and gowns" of worldly allure to a profound spiritual homecoming. In these pages, readers navigating their own restless search for belonging will find a sacred companion in Deborah Rutherford's vulnerable and resonant verse. Journeying through five powerful movements-Innocence, Strife, Awakening, Restoration, and Dancing-Deborah explores what it is to be relentlessly pursued by Grace. Finding God in the quietest moments-from a rain-soaked hotel room in Budapest to a walk beneath the Georgia pines-Prodigal Daughter celebrates a Love that turns ashes into beauty and affirms that you are never too far gone to come home.

Experience intimate storytelling with a memoir rendered in Verse.

Through unflinching honesty, Deborah invites us into the landscape of her life: a pilgrimage spanning from the rugged coast of Maine and the Smoky Mountains to the sun-drenched shores of Maui and Southern California. She explores the rebellious years of searching for belonging, the wilderness of disordered eating and self-harm, the grief of abortion and loss, and the slow, miraculous awakening to a God who never stopped pursuing her.

Come find healing through ancient stories and contemporary retellings.

Deborah uniquely weaves Scripture with personal narrative, showing how ancient stories intersect with contemporary life. Biblical imagery of gardens, water, and the wilderness threads throughout the collection, reminding the reader that God's redemptive work follows consistent patterns across generations:

-The Woman at the Well finds modern resonance in the poem "Arrival."

-The Paralytic's healing mirrors Deborah's own restoration in "Going Home."

-The faith of the Bleeding Woman and the testimony of Saint Stephen become mirrors for Deborah's own struggles and the search for a new heart.

-And more...

Review Quotes

"With honesty and beauty, Deborah captures the ache of separation and the wonder of reconciliation... tender and strong-a collection to savor slowly."

- Jennifer Dukes Lee, author of Growing Slow

"A book of healing and homecoming that feels like a gentle companion as you journey through this wild gift of a life."

- Tanner Olson, author of Getting Through What You're Going Through

"Prodigal Daughter takes the reader on a journey from brokenness to belovedness, reminding us that we are never too far from rescue. Deborah shares the story of her life through poetic language and captivating images of her childhood and adulthood-from church pews and gardens to beaches and mountains."

- Rosa Lía Gilbert, author of Under the Samán Tree

"Deborah sits beside us and weaves a dream-like story of her epic journey away from God's love-and back again."

- Deidre Braley, author of The Shape I Take

"A powerful testimony and an ode to God's pursuing, transformative love. Every poem is a sacred space of communion between the God who pursues and the soul who responds to His love song, inviting us 'to go beneath, to become what is above.'"

- Hadassah Treu, international poet and author of Draw Near

"A masterfully crafted memoir-style collection that transcends the typical poetry book. Its heart-wrenching stories resonate with cadence and compassion, guiding you to a love that runs deeper than any wound and assuring you that no story is beyond God's rescue."

- Theresa M. Miller, author of The Posture of Victory

"A luminous beacon for the wandering soul, weaving raw vulnerability with divine grace in poems that pulse with redemption's heartbeat... transforming personal pain into universal hope." - Michele Vrabel, author of Outloud

"Weaving Scripture and verse, Deborah reminds us of the words our hearts long to hear: We have always been His, held in love."

- Sarah Freymuth, author of All the Hard Things

"Deborah gives voice to the struggles and longings we all carry, reminding us that there is a prodigal daughter in each of us-and that God's light always welcomes us home." - Dawn Ward, author of From Guilt to Grace, founder of The Faith to Flourish Ministry