I Am Real
Be Unmasked
I Am Real
$17.99 – $22.99
Bethany shares her experiences of childhood sexual and spiritual abuse and her ongoing journey of recovery. She openly discusses her feelings of pain, shame, and loss when her therapist uses her vulnerability to his advantage. You will cry with her as she shares the grief and the loss of trust as she shares with you the betrayal of her church. Then, you will rejoice with her as she is able to tap into the power and light of God and find His truth and the renewal of her identity. No one can put out a light that God intends to shine! Also available on Audible here.
| Weight | 10 oz |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | N/A |
| Format | Paperback, Hard Cover |
In a fast-paced memoir that is by turns suspenseful, achingly sad, and ultimately inspiring, Bethany Elle reveals a mother determined to give her children a future free from the pain and self-doubt she has endured.
To save her sanity, she sets out to reassemble, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, the fragmented memories of her past. Slowly her answered prayers and dreams transform the emerging picture to one of a God whose love can restore the most broken heart and chart a path of hope for generations to come.
I am Real is definitely a page turner type of book. The anticipation of what was going to happen next in her life urges you to read on. One of my favorite things was the details of how the author explained how she felt, to help you fully understand it. The book also made me realize that these terrible and pro-found stories can be closer to home than you thought.
This is a captivating story of the personal journey of one woman. However, it is also the story of many, many people. The details of each experience may vary, but the impact is shared by many. Bethany Elle leads us through a long journey into hope and restoration. She is very vulnerable, hence the term unmasked. This is very risky on a personal level. But I am very grateful for her boldness and courage because without it we wouldn’t get the full impact of just how much hope is available. It can also provoke us each to take the step of being unmasked and leaning into the arms of a God full of compassion, patience, and wisdom to lead us into that kind of restoration.
Encouraging and inspirational! Bethany’s search for identity and voice drew me into her intimate journey of joy, fear, betrayal, and redemption. I feel this journey is shared by anyone whose woundedness longs for restoration.
I Am Real is a challenging book to read. Initially, I wasn’t sure that her life was going to work out, she encountered so many obstacles. I find it astounding that, after numerous betrayals from so-called friends, she is able to love and accept anyone in her life. It wasn’t just the friends either, it was authority figures and church! What the hell? Still, Bethany Elle is able to give God the credit for a blessed life. She is happily married. Her kids are happily married. She has a family that loves her and to top it all off she has a long list of friends that stand by her side. This is extraordinary and unusual. It only leads me to believe that God was working in her life everyday, just as she claims.
I cried, I laughed, I discovered, I fumed. Bethany Elle’s book took me through a string of emotions, ending in a feeling of triumph, but also sadness at the immense sacrifices she has walked through to follow the will of God and find emotional and mental health. This is a must read!
I felt a depth of emotion as I turned the pages of Bethany Elle’s book. I related to some of her experiences, others not, but her walk of life inspired me and her vulnerability and courage to follow the voice of God gave me the desire to do the same. The love and sacrifice she had for her children, makes her a hero in their lives and in my eyes as well. The constant love of her husband through the roughest of times, gave me hope in marriage. Her determination to work through childhood memories inspired me to not give up, and her unrelenting hope to find true and loyal friends, a safe place to worship, and a way to help others led me to believe in the goodness of God. Thank you, Bethany Elle for your courage.
So .. Mark and I got home from vacation earlier today. I was going to sit on the couch and watch This is Us … and got settled in with my snuggly blanket. While i was waiting for Mark to be ready … i figured I’d read the first couple of pages while Mark was settling in to watch our show. Well, long story short … i read the whole book and didn’t get up from my chair until I was done. I’m really grateful that you wrote it. I appreciate your transparency and I think it took a great deal of courage to share such personal parts of your life. It was inspiring and I loved it. ❤❤❤
Bethany shares with raw courage her journey to give meaning to the surfacing of deeply personal memories from her childhood.
I was riveted by her decision not to rebury the memories and the impact her inner world would have on her life while she raised three young sons. As she gains enough trust to be authentic with her husband, then several others, she finds trust can be betrayed. It is insightful to see how she weathers broken trust and is strengthened in her journey to be real.
Her desire to turn her shame, sadness, and pain into a life of peace, hope, and healing for herself and others is inspiring, especially as she finds her strength in God and her unconditionally loving husband.
This book was hard to put down after starting. There was a lot of trials that she went through, but every time it seemed like there was no way to come back from the pain, God was there every time whispering in her ear that he was there and was holding her in his arms, she was never alone. It also was a reminder thru the entire book how important is is to pray. God calls us to bring him into our lives in every circumstance and that is exactly what Bethany did every single day, whether she was so angry with God, or praising him she was always just having a conversation with him. This book is an inspiration, and a must read!
-Crystal
Great book! I loved the book and could relate to it in many ways. Five star!
I just finished reading reading your masterpiece. It is a well written synopsis of your life though far to condensed. I wanted more…You have been gifted with the talent of expression and you were ever so tasteful and mindful of those who have touched your life with wounding precision. Your child like faith and trust in a good God is endearing, and the call to embrace the better parts of reality brings purpose in the midst of abuse.
Thank you for pouring out your narrative into the crucible of many who will benefit from the wisdom and grace that suffering has formed in your heart. Thank you for allowing me to be a small part of your invisible but profound life.
Praise God for sharing your story with a generation who needs to know who God really is, in spite of who we are…..
I Am Real is deeply authentic in describing Bethany’s journey through betrayal and healing. The storytelling weaves God’s faithfulness through all aspects of her life and makes it relatable to many that have experienced similar situations. I loved how God as our Wonderful Counselor is illustrated as the ultimate source of restoration. It is a story that provides great hope to those struggling with past traumas and sheds light on the mistrust that can occur in our churches. It reminds me to be gentle with my heart and the hearts of those around me. Bethany’s story reveals how each of us can persevere by seeking God for answers and hope.
This book was very authentic and engaging. The author did a very nice job telling her story which was raw and very real. Once I started reading the book I was unable to put it down until I finished it. Would recommend.
I am Real…Many of the experiences that Bethany writes about in this book share similarities to my own journey. I’m not usually one who runs short on words, but immediately after reading her book I was speechless. The intense resonance of emotion and certainty that another human being knows how it feels, both saddened me and excited me. Bethany’s brilliant word crafting drew me right into her story where the pain, confusion, and heartache created more questions than answers. In the quest for truth, God brought about transformation that ripples through many many more lives than just Bethany’s alone.
After reading I am Real, all I’m really left with is the same sentiment-I too am Real….and I don’t have to prove it. The courage Bethany has shown in putting words to things that draw people out of their comfort zone, inspires a boldness in myself to let God finish what He started in me and a desire to allow Him access to areas of my life that I wanted to just shut the door on.
I appreciate Bethany’s courage and vulnerability as she shares her journey to make process and find healing from childhood trauma. I found this story inspiring and very touching. My eyes were wet multiple times as i could relate to her husband trying to understand and support his wife. My wife has also been on a transformational journey to find healing from PTSD. I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially for those who have experienced trauma in any form of care about someone who has!
Bethany Elle’s “I am Real BE Unmasked” is an inspiration – to all women who struggle or have struggled with recovery, faith in a higher power, telling their story. She is a warrior – staying true to herself and to her God, never losing faith, never giving up – leading by example.
-Jonni
This book was courageous and poignant. I resonated with the confusion and fear and longing for internal consonance Bethany described. I also resonated with Bethany’s repeated emphasis on the fact that it was Scripture and knowing what God says about her that gave her the stability and reality she needed to escape being trapped and manipulated. I am so proud of and thankful to and for Bethany for her courage and her allowing God to redeem her past by helping other women discover their identities in Jesus. I thank God for her!
Thank you Colleen. You are so special to me.
Love the book….her experiences is like the kiddos and young adults we work with…very good read…also brings awareness to the hidden pain to be aware of in each of us…maybe not as extreme…but nevertheless there…
This book is a great testimony to the power of God and His healing grace! Bethany shares her story of truth and restoration with Rootedness, Empowerment, Authenticy, and Love. Her ability to persevere and seek God in the most challenging times is inspiring. She demonstrates how life changing it is to pursue truth in prayer and through God’s Word to overcome darkness, deceit, heartbreak and lies.
When I picked up the book I bought from Bethany this week, “I Am Real: Be Unmasked,” I could not put it down. I read it from cover to cover with no breaks. There is great truth and healing in this text. Her honesty and willingness to allow God to use her story have gained my great admiration. I thank God Almighty, the three-in-one, for how personally He works individually each individual’s life to heal even the deepest hurts if we are willing to let Him. I’m am so glad He pursued Bethany’s broken childhood heart, and comforted her in ways only He could. Having survived many traumas myself, and been healed as well, I pray that this book blesses others as it has blessed me. I also pray that God continues to expand Bethany’s ministry.
Thank you so much Linda! It was a pleasure meeting you.
This book is for anyone who has experienced profound pain, especially by the hands of those who were meant to help. If you have already written this book off, WAIT! Bethany openly shares her story, struggles and pain but most importantly shares how God walked her out of the engulfing pain that felt like it would destroy her. Her story offers hope on a concrete level offering steps anyone can take to start or advance their journey out of confusion and darkness.
Even if you haven’t experienced trauma or abuse this book could be for you. Most of us have struggled with identity on some level, this book gives practical steps to dealing with the confusion of our own thoughts or what other people say. This is not a “how to” book but rather a story through which the reader discovers ways to find out who they truly are.
Keriana