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Summary: Moved to laughter and tears
Review: This is my first Anne Lamott read and I am confident I will purchase everything she has ever written! As an agnostic, I found Lamott's writing about her evolution of faith moving and inspiring. It is rare to read about liberal Christianity (and I mean that in the most faithful of ways so don't be put off) and Lamott's style is very street-smart. If you don't catch on in the first couple of chapters, hang in there a little longer. It is fairly chronological and as she grows she has more stories/thoughts to share. I was moved so often that I did something I NEVER do: began re-reading as soon as I was done and marking passages to share with friends. If you are a fan of this book OR Barbara Kingsolver's High Tide in Tucson, I recommend them both as similar reads (though totally different subject matter).
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Summary: Fabulous
Review: I listened to this book on auditape which I obtained at the local library. First I ever heard of Anne Lamott. Now I absolutely love her. I hated it when the tape was over. She is so honest and unpretentious that I just wanted to hug her. Even her profanity was funny because it was just "her" telling about her life the way she experiencned it and processed it. The way she described events and feelings were hysterical. Even now, there are a few lines that can make me smile just thinking about them. Her descriptions of people, events and circumstances are a work of truely awesome art. After completing the book, I immediately looked in the library for more works by her. Since I only read non-fiction I am anxious to read Bird by Bird next. Thanks, Anne Lamott for your honesty in sharing your life and being able to laugh at yourself as you struggle through it, making all the rest of us feel good in our attempt to do the same. Additionally, her sharing of her faith journey and her relationship with God was particularly touching and sincere.
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Summary: I love this woman!
Review: A friend gave this book to me for my birthday after hearing Anne read passages on national public radio. What a gift! I told my friend this is hands-down the best book I've ever read. I cried, I laughed out loud, and I'm a tough customer to please. The author described her feelings and I found myself saying "Yeah, that's how I would like to have put that into words for myself". The author tapped into the warmest sweetest part of me. Her brutal honesty and self-effacing writing was incredible. Now I really know what finding "your voice" is.
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Summary: The best of my summer reads!
Review: This book is about nothing at all -- but everything that is important. Lamott has special eyes to see the exquisiteness of grace in our everyday lives. And when I finished the book, her special eyes had rubbed off on me. Life seems freer, fresher... Ann reminds me that God is, indeed, at work in our lives. Her ability to capture the special in the mundane is a rare gift, and I just couldn't get enough of it.
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Summary: Boy did i need this book!
Review: This was one of the most amazing books i have ever read. I happened to read it at a time when i am exploring my own spirituality. The author seemed to speak to me in a way that no other has on this topic. Once i started on her journey i couldn't put the book down and read it in one night. I highly recommend this book to everyone who is on a quest to understand themself better and gain more clarity about their life.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting insight into a complex author
Review: Anne Lamott is a gifted author who has made many contributions to the world of literature in a variety of formats. This personal essay illuminates more about her personal journey and allows the reader to share in the good and the bad. It is a hopeful book and shows that a person is capable of evolving. The best chapter was titlted: Barn raising. It once again gives evidence that we are all responsible for one another. This segment should be read by cynics.
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Summary: A spiritual journey that you wouldn't expect
Review: Anne Lamott doesn't seem to be your conventional Christian. She doesn't try to be anything she isn't, so this book includes dissertations on her drug and alcohol abuse, her bullimia, her son who does not have an acknowledged father. She seems much more like the millions of people who have experienced these issues in their lives, and left conventional religion by the wayside. Yet the difference between Anne and other people is the constancy of faith in her life. She is a regular churchgoer, but I'll bet she doesn't dress up in a flowery dress and a big hat to attend. The message of the book is simple - no matter how you spend your life, God will not abandon you. A very pleasant read.
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Summary: Wonderful, eccentric, journey of faith
Review: In "Travelling Mercies", Anne Lamott chronicles her journey of faith. From drug addiction, to alcoholism: through the deaths of her father and best friend, and the birth of her son, Ms. Lamott traces her spiritual journey in a series of moving, funny, and deeply personal anecdotes. One warning: this book is probably not for those seeking a traditionally-minded, conservative Christian memoir, as it is definitely not either traditional or conservative! For those whose faith is less structured, this book is an incredibly funny, searingly personal and deeply moving account of one woman's transformation through faith. Ms. Lamott possesses the rare gift of translating her faith into day-to-day experiences and sharing her innermost, most difficult or stressful thoughts in a very funny, realistic, human way. Other readers have mentioned the story of the woman in bicycle shorts (Ms. Lamott's "Enemy Lite."), which is truly hilarious. Other highlights included the"celebration" of Ash Wednesday, and her encounter with another Christian whose faith seemed to be quite a different order from her own. Ms. Lamott is also wonderful when she writes about children: whether about her own son or her friends' children. This would make a wonderful gift for those who are "teetering on the edge" of Christianity, wondering, can this faith, this tradition possibly ever mean anything to me? Through these stories, Anne Lamott illustrates the miracle that is her faith, and leaves the door open for anyone who wants to follow. A wonderful, inspiring and very funny book.
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Summary: Warm and Inspiring
Review: In her witty, honest way, Anne Lamott takes us along on her spiritual journey. This book is a collection of "slice of life" pieces; some are funny, some sad, many of them are moving in that sneak-up-on-you way Lamott has of telling a story. Whether you are on your own journey, or if you just enjoy Lamott's work, you will hard-pressed not to be inspired by her adventures and moved by her insight.
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Summary: Spiritual journeys of an honest sinner!
Review: You've gotta love Anne Lamott's honest appraisal of her decision to turn herself over to God. Most such stories are fraught with angst or deep self-reflection. My guess is hers actually was, but she paints a much more real-life picture of a person who has decided to quit hiding from herself. If she can be accepted by Christ after this kind of acquiesence, there's hope for all of us! What I enjoy so much about her essays is her ability to find spiritual moments in the most mundane of things, whether it is the advance of cellulite or making peace with her hair. I still find myself laughing over her decision to forgive a woman who didn't even know she WAS her enemy, but she was. She wore Spandex in all kinds of weather. Because she COULD! Although many of her insights will ring especially true for women, men shouldn't discount them, either. I recommended this book to my pastor, who then chose it for his clergy book discussion group. She may shock, she may make you laugh, she may touch deep chords, but you know these are the musings of a person who has lots of flaws, like all of us.
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