Telling Stories in the Dark

Jeff Munroe’s Telling Stories in the Dark takes very seriously Frederick Buechner’s dictum to reflect on our “stewardship of pain.” With grace and truth, he narrates his own story and the stories of others to ponder suffering and a faithful response to it.

—Jennifer L. Holberg, author of Nourishing Narratives and Co-Director of Calvin University’s Center for Faith & Writing

Millions of us live with sorrow, grief and trauma. Jeffrey Munroe and a national array of experts explore true stories of resiliency and hope as people transform their pain and find fresh inspiration.

Jeff Munroe is a masterful storyteller, brilliantly weaving together the compelling real-life stories of individuals who’ve been wounded by tragedy with experts’ commentary on how to find insight, hope and healing from each narrative. We all experience deep loss at some point in our lives, and Telling Stories in the Dark is a rich contemplation on navigating trauma and grief.

—Karen Mulder, founder of the Wisdom of the Wounded ministry

At the core of the Christian mystery is the notion of redemptive suffering, how brokenness becomes beatitude and grief is transformed by grace, how gratitude inoculates against our grievances. Jeff Munroe identifies the power of telling our own stories—sharing our experience, strength, and hopes—as the passe-partout for our spiritual journey: life’s master-key.

—Thomas Lynch, poet and author of The Undertaking and Bone Rosary

In John 16, Jesus tells his disciples, “In this world you will face trouble,” and he’s right. We will. Jeffrey Munroe does not shy away from the suffering in the world, but instead invites the reader to explore stories of pain and suffering in a way that shines a light in the darkness. I would recommend this book to anyone who is presently suffering or is suffering-adjacent. In other words: This book is for everyone.

—April Fiet, author of The Sacred Pulse: Holy Rhythms for Overwhelmed Souls

Jeff Munroe’s Telling Stories in the Dark takes very seriously Frederick Buechner’s dictum to reflect on our “stewardship of pain.” With grace and truth, he narrates his own story and the stories of others to ponder suffering and a faithful response to it. You’ll definitely be blessed to spend time with Jeff and his friends!

—Jennifer L. Holberg, author of Nourishing Narratives: The Power of Story to Shape our Faith. Professor and Chair, Department of English, Calvin University; Co-Director, Calvin Center for Faith & Writing

Jeff Munroe avoids the quicksand of theodicy to focus instead on the stories of people whose faith has survived great suffering, which he tells with warmth, generosity, and compassion.

—Christian Wiman, author of My Bright Abyss: Meditations of a Modern Believer. Professor of the Practice of Religion and Literature, Yale Divinity School