Finding Beautiful: Discovering Authentic Beauty Around the World

- [ ] When I learned that Rebecca Friedlander wrote a book, “Finding Beautiful” I was so excited. I have followed her videos for some time now and was sure her book would be that of quality and have great photography in it. I was not disappointed, this book is beautifully put together. “Finding Beautiful” is a book for women of all ages. There are 12 stories of 12 truly beautiful women. Their stories are all different yet all have the same grace of God weaving through them. I was unable to choose just one favorite story, but I do have it narrowed down to chapters 8 and 11. Rebecca Friedlander summed it all up in the Conclusion with a quote; “Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not” by Ralph Waldo Emerson. “Finding Beautiful” not only challenged me to see beauty with fresh eyes in my own life, but, also challenged me to seek new ways to share beauty with others. This book has such an impact on me that I had every woman possible read just one chapter of this book. All but one have ordered at least 1 copy of “Finding Beautiful”.

This is a truly beautiful book in many ways, but I'll try to be brief. First, the photographic makeover concept the author uses for representing how each of the ladies featured saw themselves before and after Christ is gorgeous and artistic; a beautiful and concrete way to illustrate a usually subjective concept. Second, the author's writing style is easy to read and eloquent as it tells the story of each woman's transformation, of how each found the beauty within themselves because of their Creator's love for them. Third, I loved how the author also included in each chapter a short story on the interviewing/photographing process from her perspective, an accompanying story from the Bible, a "True Beauty Tip," and questions for reflection. The variety of locations and different stories made this a quick read, but one I want to revisit and savor at a slower pace. I'd also recommend this book for girls down to age 11/12 depending on maturity level. The testimonies of these ladies and the topic of beauty....what this book does to strengthen your faith or change how God sees you....I can't put it into words that do it justice. "Loved it" just doesn't seem to be enough.