Review: All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir

All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir

By Beth Moore (Tyndale House)

Memoirs may be the most challenging of all literary genres. Although autobiographical, memoirs don’t cover a whole life but use stories to share a life theme. Still, the author faces temptations to embellish, revise history, gloss over frailties and tell less than the truth.

In All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir, Beth Moore’s honesty springs from deep commitments to her heavenly Father and her family. Although she waited until her parents were gone, the best-selling author sought the blessing of her husband, daughters, and siblings before recounting their intertwined stories that evoke a host of emotions but demonstrate God’s abiding faithfulness.

The book begins with a road trip as 6-year-old Beth describes the adventures of her mom, dad, maternal grandmother and all five Green children—Sandra, Wayne, Gay, Beth and Tony—in their Volkswagen van headed from Arkansas to Florida.  Amid their humorous camping attempt, Beth adds observations from adulthood as she does throughout the stories.

Often in chronological order, the author shares pieces of her life in rich descriptions of people, places and feelings as she invites readers to experience her laughter, tears, joy, pain and forgiveness. Glimpses show Beth’s baptism and love for Arkadelphia’s First Baptist Church, unspeakable things no dad should do, her mother’s depression, and Gay’s phone confrontation of their father’s “friend” after finding a hidden letter in his movie theatre office.

Relocation to Houston left Beth with deep loss, not just of home but of her two best Arkadelphia friends who died in an accident moments after she told them good-bye. The teen couldn’t stand to give up church. So, when her parents ceased attending, the high school student found her own.

Scholarships made college possible at Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State) where Beth thrived academically and socially. The summer after her freshman year, her church needed someone to take the 6th grade girls to GA camp. The coed volunteered, and there while brushing her teeth, she clearly “sensed the Lord’s presence.” She immediately knew “nothing at all was different … but everything had changed.” God had called the 18-year-old to a lifetime of ministry and hunger for his word.

At Southwest Texas, Beth fell in love with Keith Moore, who brought his own tragedies to their marriage. The memoir details their ups and downs, the births of their daughters, and her spiritual growth with mentors like Marge Caldwell and John Bisagno, who took the former college dance team member from exercise/Bible study instructor to Bible teacher, partnership with Lifeway, Living Proof Ministries, Keith’s near-fatal fishing accident and years-long recovery, and finally, agonizing censure and heart-wrenching departure from the denomination she loved from birth.

As she began the memoir, so Beth Green Moore ends with a road trip, one that brings full circle God’s faithfulness in unknotting Keith’s knotted-up life and Beth’s as well.

Consider purchasing both audio and print copies of All My Knotted-Up Life. Beth Moore’s voice on the audio expresses feelings as only the writer can. But don’t miss the 8 pages of photographs in the print version. Either way, you’ll gain insights into God and the Bible teacher’s heart.

Kathy Robinson Hillman, former president

Texas WMU and Baptist General Convention of Texas

Waco