“Brenda Peterson's latest book is the story of her unique upbringing, both in nature (her father was with the Forest Service) and in the evangelistic Southern Baptist religion. At once precocious and thoughtful, she weaves her way through the contradictions of growing up to find her own spiritual place in the world. 'Glowing' would not be too strong of adjective for this book!”
— Maurine Barnett, Darvill's Bookstore, Eastsound, WA
Description
In this picaresque memoir-a dark and divine comedy of family and faith-acclaimed novelist and nature writer, Brenda Peterson, embraces this earthly life while her relatives prepare fervently to leave it. As a "wild, rather odd, and unknowingly subversive child," she survives fierce "sword drill" competitions over total recall of the Scriptures and awkward dinner table questions-"Will Rapture take the cat, too?" Peterson paints such a hilarious and tender portrait that the reader, too, may want to be left behind. The memoir was selected by independent booksellers as a "Great Read" and an "Indie Next." Chosen as a "Top Ten Best Non-fiction Book of the Year" by Christian Science Monitor, I Want to Be Left Behind celebrates what the Los Angeles Times calls her "rich and often lovely life-full of humor and Peterson's own brand of faith.
About the Author
Brenda Peterson is the author of 18 books, including the novel, Duck and Cover, a New York Times "Notable Book of the Year, which the Los Angeles Timescalled "hauntingly funny." Her first memoir, Build Me an Ark: A Life with Animals, was selected as a Best Spiritual Book of the Year. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, NPR, and Oprah magazine. Peterson lives on Seattle's Salish Sea. www.BrendaPetersonBooks.com
“Brenda Peterson's latest book is the story of her unique upbringing, both in nature (her father was with the Forest Service) and in the evangelistic Southern Baptist religion. At once precocious and thoughtful, she weaves her way through the contradictions of growing up to find her own spiritual place in the world. 'Glowing' would not be too strong of adjective for this book!”