Controlled Chaos by Jenny Guiton

Reviewed by Angela McLaurin

A contemporary Christian memoir

5 Stars

Be sure to scroll down to read my interview with Jenny and find out how to win a copy of this incredible story.

Buy your copy from Amazon here!


Synopsis from Amazon:  All Jenny wanted was to raise her kids without all the chaos she experienced in her childhood, but the harder she tried to run from her past, the quicker it seemed to gain on her until her own depression and alcoholism drove her from a treatment center to a couch in a therapist's office where she was given a chance to change the course of her family's future.



My thoughts...

This book moved me beyond words, left my heart heavy, and my soul, oddly enough, refreshed.  Jenny was a recovering alcoholic and this is the story of her journey through Christian therapy.  She's battling her addiction, a tragic childhood with an alcoholic parent, and the difficult task of raising three small children while trying to maintain her marriage.  Though rehab, therapy, and a strong support system, she's able to find comfort in God and ultimately, in herself.

 

God is big enough to handle our question and he wants us to ask those questions.  He knows we aren't going to grow unless we are willing to be honest.   Jenny Guiton

 

 

Although I have not been through the tragic things in this book personally, I think that we can all use Jenny's story as a powerful tool to question our own relationships with our children, our spouses, and with God.  It made me stop and think about my own relationships with my children and ultimately ask myself if I am doing my very best to be a good mother to them.  I went through her therapy sessions with her and in turn, reflected upon my life. The story slowly turned from a memoir to almost a self-help book for me.  I think that through her struggles I was able to learn some important things that I didn't even realize were missing from my own relationships.

 

This book is a must read for anyone who calls themselves a Christian.  The realities of it are at times harsh, but we are left with hope and a strong message about moving forward.  Jenny's words flowed effortlessly and beautifully, instantly wrapping me up in this powerful story.  Please take the time to read this and reflect upon your own life......it was moving, powerful, and simply unforgettable.

 

 

What if I could share my story with people and they realized they had a choice about whether or not they are going to pass on the bad habits of their parents or begin a new family tradition? 
And what if hundreds or even thousands of kids' lives were better because their parents were courageous enough to change?  It's almost too much to hope for, but just like one rock can make ripples that spread out across the water, I'd like to believe that maybe one decision could change the world.  Jenny Guiton

 

 

My interview with Jenny Guiton....

1. Wow! I was overwhelmed with emotion reading this story. I know this story is a memoir, but you also state in the beginning of the book that you have changed some of the names of people and places for their anonymity. How does this story reflect upon you in real life? Did you live all of this chaos?

 Yes, I did live in all that chaos. Years ago, I was really moved by James Frey's, A Million Little Pieces, but his story of recovery contradicted so many of the things I learned in treatment. So, I was very upset when I found out he'd made up a lot of his story. I was determined to write my story with as much honesty and truthfulness as possible. I learned so many great things along my journey I wanted to pass on, I couldn't afford to lose trust with my readers. 

 

2. This story sends a powerful message for Christians about questioning God and then coming to terms with what His plans are for you in life. How do you feel that your faith and beliefs have brought you to where you are in life?

 

I’m planning to write a whole book about how my faith and beliefs have evolved over time, so it's hard to answer this question in a couple of sentences.  Honesty and trust are at the heart of every relationship, including the relationship we have with God.  I thought I had a lot of good relationships when I was living a pretend life, but those relationships were as shallow and meaningless as my charade.  It wasn’t until I got honest with God that I was even able to begin to develop a real relationship.  I wouldn’t wish my past on anyone, but I wouldn’t give any of it up either if it meant I would never know what it is to be loved by God. 

 

3.  Why did you ultimately decide to write this book and share your story?

 

Going from believing I was the worst mom in the world and wanting to die to having great relationships with my kids and a life worth living made me want to share what I’ve learned.  I run into people all the time that are going through the same struggles I did and I’ve always loved to write, so it made sense to write a book about how I got through them.  But I don’t like, “How To” books, so I decided writing my story was the best way to pass on the information.  

 

4.  Do you plan on writing more books?

 

Yes! I have a few in mind.  In Controlled Chaos, I only touch the tip of the iceberg in my relationship with my husband.  I think our story is will be good reading.  The fact that we’ve made it 21 years is a miracle.  I also want to write a book about growing up in the Mormon Church called “Growing Up Without Grace.”  I could write a book for each one of my siblings, but I’d like to start with my sister, who is my hero.  She is the most unselfish person I know.  Her story of giving up a child at sixteen and the events that follow are so cool, but her story hasn’t played all the way out yet, so that one will be awhile.  I’d also like to continue writing about my kids.  They are all in high school now and so much has happened since I started writing Controlled Chaos that it only seems fair to readers that I follow up with the results of all the hard work we went through. 

 

5.  The cover of this book immediately caught my eye! It is beautiful and reflects to perfection the basis of the story.  Tell us more about the cover art!  

My daughter, Jenna, created the cover.  She’s sixteen now and has an amazing eye for photography.  We spent a lot of time perusing book stores and found that simple, but striking covers caught our eye.  Once we came up with the idea, Jenna insisted on authenticity.  So my son and his friend carried my father-in-law’s couch and we drove it out to a field.   We had a lot of fun with the photo shoot.  Jenna liked that the intricate design of the couch plopped in the middle of a rustic field was a perfect reflection of my rustic childhood plopped into the middle of a suburban, middle-class lifestyle.  I’m so proud of her!

 

6.  What is the one thing you want readers to take away from your story?

 

Hope.  The worst moments of my life were when I was without hope.  Every awful circumstance is endurable if we have hope.  A secondary message is that you’re not alone.  All of humanity is on the same road, but we close ourselves off from everyone when we feel shame.  The more I talked about my issues, the more I found that I wasn’t the only one and walking through the valleys of life are so much easier with a friend, even if that friend is just an author of a book.   

 

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