Trustworthy: A Journey From American Christianity to Freedom

Royal Dragonfly Book Award 2022 Winner "In God We Trust." It was the motto of her country and her family, taught since birth. Stubbornly loyal, she held onto that trust through an abusive marriage to a Christian music minister, a subjugating cult environment and abject poverty. After pleading with "god" for relief for herself and her children she realized.... no one was answering. No "god" was listening. God would not be her refuge. She could not find safety in her husband. The church had stolen her autonomy and her dreams. Through a thoughtful journey of deconversion, she realized that the only one to be considered trustworthy was herself. She would start a career. She would support her children. She would move on to a new life. A gripping true tale of subjugation and fear that powerfully transforms into hope and liberation. Superbly written and honestly expressed, Trustworthy is one woman's personal journey navigating poverty and motherhood within a stifling religion and hostile marriage. But it is much more than that, for the themes herein are broadly universal: survival within a patriarchal culture; emergent self-confidence amidst tragic conditions; reason successfully breaking through the confines of faith. May others find inspiration and courage in this harrowing and deeply human story. Personally, I couldn't put it down. Highly, fervently recommended. - Phil Zuckerman, Ph.D. author of What It Means to be Moral and Living the Secular Life It is never easy to write about your past, especially if there is deep regret. But Heather Wells has done it. Her "imprisonment" by a conservative religion and its manipulation of her husband and her life must be told. That she was able to survive, get a divorce, and teach something different to her kids is a testimony to her strength and resolve. It's time for women to know the truth about religion. It was designed for men. - Karen L. Garst, PhD, author of Women Beyond Belief: Discovering Life without Religion and Women v. Religion: The Case Against Faith and for Freedom