Facing the Music
My Story
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Jennifer Knapp’s meteoric rise in the Christian music industry ended abruptly when she walked away and came out publicly as a lesbian. This is her story—of coming to Christ, of building a career, of admitting who she is, and of how her faith remained strong through it all.
At the top of her career in the Christian music industry, Jennifer Knapp quit. A few years later, she publicly revealed she is gay. A media frenzy ensued, and many of her former fans were angry with what they saw as turning her back on God. But through it all, she held on to the truth that had guided her from the beginning.
In this memoir, she finally tells her story: of her troubled childhood, the love of music that pulled her through, her dramatic conversion to Christianity, her rise to stardom, her abrupt departure from Christian Contemporary Music, her years of trying to come to terms with her sexual orientation, and her return to music and Nashville in 2010, when she came out publicly for the first time. She also talks about the importance of her faith, and despite the many who claim she can no longer call herself a believer, she maintains that she is both gay and a Christian.
Now an advocate for LGBT issues in the church, Jennifer has witnessed heartbreaking struggles as churches wrestle with issues of homosexuality and faith. This engrossing, inspiring memoir will help people understand her story and to believe in their own stories, whatever they may be.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bursting quickly to stardom in the Christian music world shortly after her college conversion, singer-songwriter Knapp disappeared abruptly from the public eye in 2004. Here, she offers a comprehensive memoir spanning her earliest childhood in the 1970s to her 2010 return to performing from self-imposed exile. The book seems designed to explain her seclusion, which she chalks up to physical exhaustion from her brutal tour schedule and the emotional strain of coming to terms with herself as a lesbian. Her memoir suffers from uneven pacing, alternating between catalogues of activities and long reflections on her emotional state. While she does paint a bleak portrait of the constant scrutiny and moral nitpicking contemporary Christian musicians face, her retelling of events seems to place blame for problems outside her own actions. The book will appeal to fans seeking insight into Knapp's work and to others hoping for an insider view of Christian music. Some readers might find the issues raised, such as Christian hypocrisy, doubt, and homosexuality, unhelpfully unresolved.
Customer Reviews
Jennifer Knapp - A Brilliant Masterpiece
This book is absolutely stellar. It tells the tale of her rise to fame in the Christian music scene to her fall thanks to the two-faced, backstabbing judgmental Christians we are surrounded by who live the do as I say but not as I do lifestyle. She beat the odds, didn't let their pathetic excuse for religion get her down, and came back fighting.
If you are one of these judgmental Christians, don't bother. You will judge her gay lifestyle and not respect her as a God loving person.
This book is amazing. One of the best I've ever read. And makes me glad to have been a fan from day one. And a fan to this day.
Inspiring
I have been a fan of Jennifer Knapp since 1998. I remember sometime around 2005 trying to figure out when she would be releasing more music. I ran across an article that stated she was taking time off. I recall feeling very disappointed. I had no idea the struggles she was going through at the time. I am so impressed how well she articulated her story, adventure and the journey she was on. She is truly an inspiration to so many. I believe her story will save the lives of many young people who are struggling with religion vs sexuality. I was a fan of her the person!! What a gift she to so many. There are so many people who have experienced similar stories yet hers was amplified by her fame. Thank you Jennifer Knapp. You have a forever fan here!! A forever "Knappster"
Couldn't Put this book down!
Jennifer writes with such honesty and this book really hit home with me. She writes in such a relatable way and let's the reader in on her deepest thoughts and struggles. This book is great for anyone who has ever struggled with their faith.