And Still She Laughs: Defiant Joy in the Depths of Suffering by Kate Merrick

And Still She Laughs: Defiant Joy in the Depths of Suffering

by Kate Merrick

    From a mother who lost her eight-year old daughter after a three-year battle with cancer, this book is a testimony to God's faithfulness. The author writes with strength and meaning and fulfills the purpose of the book; to show that through Christ, a person can survive the greatest tragedies and still live a life of joy. It goes without saying that I felt deeply for this mother, for this family and I learned from their strength in the Lord. I hope to someday be as unshakable as this mother learned to be. It wasn't always easy for her, but here in her own words is her journey. It is such a testimony to see how this bereaved mother still has joy and laughter. I recommend this book! I don't agree with all doctrinal statements expressed by the author but there is still much to be gained through reading such a book. I also don't always like the choice of words or humour in this book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Kate Merrick faced the crippling grief that life can bring when her five-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer. Three and a half years of suffering followed, accompanied by fervent prayer, hospital stays, emotional agony, and teeth-grinding fear. And in the end, her baby girl was gone.


How was Kate to believe again, to hope again? To find out, she turned to stories in the Bible of real women who dealt with pain and survived. How did Sarah, after twenty-five years of achingly empty arms, learn in the end to laugh without bitterness? How did Bathsheba, defiled by the king who then had her husband killed, come to walk in strength and dignity, to smile without fear of the future?


In And Still She Laughs, Merrick writes poignantly and transparently about finding joy in sorrow and shows how we—just like the ordinary women seen in the Bible—can rise above unbearable circumstances and live fully. In the middle of whatever hardships we face, we can smile, cry, and come away full—laughing without fear and eagerly looking for what is to come.