Parker found a second husband, but their relationship, joyous at first, foundered when she moved to Berkeley to head the Starr King School for the Ministry, while her husband continued to be based in Seattle. Recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse came to the surface as her second marriage came to an end. When a relationship with a third man became rocky, Parker attempted suicide, cutting her wrist until she heard an inner voice say, "Stop." By the end of the her narrative, she has healed somewhat, but retains deep wounds.

Brocks's later narrative has a happier thrust when she discovers loving relatives she never knew existed. They retained photos of her from before she left Japan. She writes, "I like to think God might be like this: a presence whom we have never seen--perhaps do not know exists--but who has loved us from the beginning." Her relationships with men, while not as disastrous as Parker's, have their ups and down, with the narrative ending on a down note.

Amidst their personal stories, the authors discuss theological problems of suffering as presented in the Bible, especially in the stories of Jesus and Job. They compare to child abuse the doctrine that God required his son to suffer and die as a human sacrifice, and therefore reject it as a true portrayal of God.

Brock, who is now a director of a new initiative called Faith Voices for the Common Good, and Parker come to what is perhaps a feminist version of liberation theology. They conclude that women should not patiently suffer at the hand of men in expectation of reward in heaven, but should take inspiration from the prophets who sought justice in this world. As a Jewish-American whose ancestors were persecuted for what they supposedly did to Jesus, I see the Christian focus on Jesus suffering and death as being at the heart of much of the suffering inflicted by Christians. Rather, it is the many positive aspects of Jesus life, his non-violence and concern for justice, which are worth of study and imitation.

I note that the submission of women to violent men is not just an issue in Christianity; the Somali-Dutch feminist Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been threatened with death as a result of her allegedly blasphemous charges that Islam condones violence against women, and even an Islamic service held in Manhattan came under threats of violence because it was led by a woman.