Book Review — 30 Days of Hope for Strength in Chronic Illness

Reviewed by Martine Bates Fairbanks

Elizabeth Evans. Birmingham: New Hope Publishers, 2016. 140 pp. (Paperback).

We all need hope; those who have chronic illnesses may need a little extra hope and encouragement. Author Elizabeth Evans provides some of that hope and encouragement. In this book, part of the “Gifts of Hope” series from New Hope Publishers in Birmingham, Evans writes of her lifelong struggle with cystic fibrosis. Diagnosed at 18 months, she was not expected to live past the age of 3. She was 48 when she wrote “30 Days of Hope for Strength on Chronic Illness.”

The book, as hinted at in the title, is in devotional form, with a model prayer, a Bible verse and a two-page entry for each of the 30 days. The devotions, while acknowledging the difficulties of living with a serious chronic disease — pain, depression, uncertainty — always include an uplifting note about God’s goodness, His mercy and His provision. Anyone who needs encouragement for any reason would benefit from Evans’ wise observations and advice.

Soon after the book was published, Evans lost her battle with cystic fibrosis.