Walsh, a popular songwriter and Women of Faith core speaker, has worn
\t\t many hats (and shoes) over the years. It hasn't all been easy, however. While
\t\t cohosting The 700 Club some years back,
\t\t Walsh entered a psychiatric facility battling depression, feeling that she was
\t\t living in a self-made virtual prison. She writes that though she gave her life
\t\t to Christ at age 11, she could only give him her shame at 35, having lost the
\t\t ability to dream and love as God had intended. Utilizing themes from
\t\t The Wizard of Oz, Walsh takes evangelical
\t\t women on a journey through Oz and weaves life lessons throughout. She asks
\t\t poignant questions on gaining the freedom to love and be loved, to forgive and
\t\t be forgiven. Claiming that most women go "gray" as a result of extinguished
\t\t dreams and lifelong disappointment, Walsh tells them to believe in love rather
\t\t than judgment, recognizing that God frequently uses pain as a bridge between
\t\t individuals. The book opens forcefully, with Walsh making colorful connections
\t\t between the messiness of life and God's sovereign, loving care. Sadly, the book
\t\t grows less compelling near its close, fizzling to a flat send-off from Oz.
\t\t (Mar. 6)
