The Retreat — Jacci Turner

A week at a retreat becomes a transformational journey of faith renewal for a young Christian suffering a crisis of the soul in this poignant, illuminating, and spiritually wise teaching novel for fans of Jen Hatmaker, Shauna Niequist, and Brene Brown.

For her entire life, Amy considered her evangelical Christian upbringing the foundation of her life and beliefs. But when she stands up for her gay best friend, Amy is ostracized and banished from the church she loves -- resulting in a crisis of the spirit that causes her to doubt her conservative upbringing as she enters her thirties. Seeing Amy's pain, a caring friend raises the money to send her on a week-long retreat for contemplative activism, hoping that a few days of quiet reflection will help her rekindle her faith.

At the retreat, Amy meets two women her age-teachers who introduce her to new types of prayer -- as well as Celeste, a seasoned church mentor who takes Amy under her wing and gently shows her new ways to practice her religious beliefs. In the course of just a few days, Amy finds an inspiring and more meaningful view of God.