Graceful (For Young Women): Letting Go of Your Try-Hard Life [Paperback]

Emily P. Freeman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2012

You know her--the good girl. She's the reliable one who shows up every week at youth group wearing a purity ring and a smile. She gets good grades, makes the team, and doesn't need to be told to come home on time. But deep down she is crushed by the weight of the responsibility to be the good one, the smart one, the one who never messes up.

With the same candor and gentle spirit she showed women in Grace for the Good Girl, Emily Freeman now gives young women what they need to be free on the inside, no matter what's going on outside. Through an honest look at the roles girls play, she helps them learn to stop trying and start trusting that the Jesus who came to save them also comes to live with them, right here and now.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

For the prom queen, the athlete, the bookworm, and the dreamer.

For the good test taker and the strict list maker. For the rule follower, the fear wallower, the messy, and the misunderstood. For the self-critic, the silent judge, and the girl who feels invisible.

For the girl who is tired of trying and the one afraid to fail.

These words are for you.

You don't have to be perfect. But do you trust the One who is?

The God who came to save you also came to live with you, in you, today.

If you've been struggling with expectations--from your parents, your teachers, your friends, and even yourself--Graceful is for you. Are you trying hard to catch up but aren't sure what it is you're chasing? Read and be set free.


Emily P. Freeman is the author of Grace for the Good Girl. Every Sunday night, she leads a small group of high school girls at her house where they talk about real life, real love, and the God who makes a difference. Emily's husband, John, is a youth pastor and they live together in North Carolina with their twin daughters, their son, and their crazy dog, Finn. Connect with Emily online at www.ChattingAtTheSky.com.

About the Author

Emily P. Freeman is a writer who loves to read and a speaker who would rather listen. Every Sunday night, she leads a small group of high school girls at her house where they talk about real life, real love, and the God who makes a difference. Emily's husband John is a youth pastor and they live, love, and serve together in North Carolina with their twin daughters, their son, and their crazy dog, Finn. The author of Grace for the Good Girl, she attended Columbia International University to study the Bible and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she earned a degree in Educational Interpreting for the Deaf. Connect with Emily online at www.ChattingAtTheSky.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Revell (September 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800719832
• ISBN-13: 978-0800719838
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,582 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Emily Freeman is a writer, speaker and listener. She writes for DaySpring (a division of Hallmark) and has traveled as a writer with Compassion International to raise awareness for the needs of children in poverty around the world.

She attended Columbia International University to study the Bible and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she earned a degree in Educational Interpreting for the Deaf.

Emily lives with her husband, John, in North Carolina with their three children and their crazy dog, Finn. Emily extends a daily invitation on her blog for women to create space for their souls to breathe. Come join the community of grace dwellers at www.ChattingAtTheSky.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for teen girls (AND their youth leaders!) September 4, 2012

By Sarah from Dallas

Format:Paperback

Youth leaders, parents, and mentors can say it over and over again--"Your value comes from Christ alone!!"--but the message just doesn't click for most teenage girls. Emily, on the other hand, gets right into their world and becomes their best friend. She walks them through her own story and instead of offering syrupy flattery and a high-five, she convicts them with the hardcore Truth of Scripture. Because the Truth is: God doesn't take low self-esteem sitting down. It actually breaks His heart. He made these girls. He wants them to see themselves through His, their Maker's, eyes. And Emily will take girls to that place, where not only will they start to tear down walls of guilt, insecurity, and self-doubt, but they will also discover a deeper love for Jesus Christ, their Creator and Savior, whose hands are strong enough to carry them through every self-loathing thought.
- Sarah Nutter, youth leader

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I had this book when I was a teenager. September 4, 2012

By Kendra Adachi

Format:Paperback

"Graceful" is a gem. Books for teenage girls are often too casual or too intense. I should know since I was the girl in high school who read every book that I thought might make me "better." This book is written with the perfect tone and full of life-changing truths. Practical, real, funny but not frilly, and deep. And not one checklist to be found. The perfect book for good girls.

Teenage girls will find comfort in Emily's charming vulnerability, probably feeling like she's right in there the room with them. Small group leaders will find comfort in having such a strong message articulated clearly that's accompanied by a great leader guide available on the author's website. Moms will find comfort in knowing that someone is speaking truth into the lives of their daughters, truth that might have been revealed to them through Emily's first book, "Grace for the Good Girl."

This book is for young women who feel like they have DO in order to be loved, valued, and accepted. I am thrilled that girls who read this book will experience freedom from having to try so hard when they're young and not wait until they're 30 with kids. If you know a teenage girl who is doing everything right, buy this book for her. Chances are, she's about to crumble under her own pressure, and "Graceful" offers truth that brings peace and freedom that will seriously change her life.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read for high school girls (and the men and women who lead them) March 7, 2013

By Tiffany Malloy

Format:Paperback

About a year ago, I reviewed Grace for the Good Girl: Letting Go of the Try-Hard Life by Emily Freeman. Because I liked it so much, I agreed to do a review of another version of this book, only this time for young women (i.e. high school). This one is called Graceful: Letting Go of your Try-Hard Life. While it has been awhile since I've been around high school girls, I do remember my own high school experience, and think that I would have really benefited from a book like this.

Again in this book, Emily reveals the behaviors that girls hide behind, why they do it, and what Scripture has to say about the things we hide behind. The main portion of the book addresses each role, and then addresses the issue from all sides. The roles include: actress, girl next door, activist, heroine, bystander, judge, intellectual, and dreamer. I think most girls will connect with at least one, if not multiple, roles.

I was surprised by how non-youth-ish this book was. Emily gave some great stories that I think young women will connect with, and she communicated in ways that respects the readers' stage of "almost adulthood." Emily's husband is a youth pastor, and Emily leads a small group of high school girls at her house every Sunday night. I can only imagine that that small group is incredibly transformative for those girls. Emily seems to really "get" this age and stage, and can communicate truth about Scripture and identity in a clear and down-to-earth way.

If you have a high school girl in your life, this just might be a great book to get for her. I'm considering donating mine to a library so that MANY girls can take advantage of it!

Thanks, Baker Books, for providing me a review copy in exchange for an honest book review! And thanks for letting me take so much time to do it... :)