Synopses & Reviews
HOPE andlt;Iandgt;and andlt;/Iandgt;COMPASSION andlt;Iandgt;for andlt;/Iandgt;FAMILIESandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Beautiful Nate andlt;/Iandgt;offers valuable insights into what went wrong in a dedicated Christian family and how things might have gone differentlyand#8212;giving parents direction for raising their own children in a troubled world. Exploring the differences between fear-based parenting, child-centered parenting, and healthy intentional parenting, author Dennis Mansfield shares hard-earned wisdom and powerful ideas on what children need. Whether youand#8217;re in the midst of parenting small children or have experienced the heartbreak of a child gone astray, youand#8217;ll find guidance and hope for your journey in this poignant, real-life story.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;***andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Even when you follow all the rules, LIFE CAN GO VERY WRONG. . .andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Dennis Mansfield and his wife Susan planned for and expected every parentand#8217;s dream but instead lived every parentand#8217;s nightmare. This haunting memoir tells the story of a father who diligently followed all the parenting rules that he learned from conservative Christian and#8220;expertsand#8221;; yet life with his son Nate went terribly wrong when the young man died at twenty-seven of drug-related causes. It wasnand#8217;t that the principles Dennis followed were faulty; it was that the promised andlt;Iandgt;guarantee andlt;/Iandgt;turned out to be void.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;The author, a national leader in the pro-family movement of the 1990s, reveals what did and did not work in raising a child within the evangelical framework. But rather than losing his faith and abandoning the God heand#8217;d trusted, Dennis eventually found new joy and purposeand#8212;with a more compassionate and realistic view of the roles parents play and the rules they follow.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;As you read this sobering yet refreshing account, you will find direction for your own parenting style and encouragement after lifeand#8217;s disappointments. Whether you are in the midst of parenting small children or have experienced the heartbreak of a child gone astray, youand#8217;ll find guidance and hope for your journey in this poignant, real-life story.
Review
and#8220;Iand#8217;ve known Dennis for a long time and as a father Iand#8217;m eager to read and learn what he has learned through such sorrow.and#8221;
Review
andlt;Iandgt;and#8220;andlt;/Iandgt;Dennis Mansfield tells a poignant heart-rending story of a Christian family where everything was supposed to turn out alright, but didnand#8217;t. Dennisand#8217;s honest soul-searching narrative serves to challenge some of the unrealistic expectations and false promises of formula-driven performance Christianity. Yet there remains a hopeful note throughoutand#8212;a redemptive God whose story is not done.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;An experience with addiction close to home: itand#8217;s lonely, scary, and can drive a family apartand#8230;unless God comes into this equation. This book will educate you on the real life of addiction and the impact on a family and how God can heal what seems permanently shattered.and#8221;
Review
"Beautiful Nate is not a parenting book, but it will help you be a better parent. It is not a self-help book, but it will be helpful to you.
Review
and#8220;Through andlt;iandgt;Beautiful Nateandlt;/iandgt;, Dennis Mansfieldand#8217;s very vulnerable faith journey, he teaches each of us this profoundly simple truth: soul-deep pain can be a great teacher forcing us to keep focused on our family and even more importantly, on our Lord.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Although Dennis Mansfieldand#8217;s book andlt;iandgt;Beautiful Nateandlt;/iandgt; tells the heart-rending narrative of a parentand#8217;s unrelenting love for his son who struggled with addiction, it does not deliver a message of despair, but rather one of authentic thanksgiving. This book conveys a gut-level honesty that though Christian in principle remains very non-religious. It is an encouragement for all that we would not accept rejection based on the behavior of a person and#8211; but instead to love and give thanks for the glimpses God provides which illuminate the depth of who they truly are.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;In andlt;iandgt;Beautiful Nate,andlt;/iandgt; author Dennis Mansfield is painfully, brutally honestand#8212;about the life and death of his son, Nate, about grief and loss and failureand#8212;and still manages, convincingly, to point the reader to joy, hope, and fulfillment. It is about triumphing over grief and shedding crippling guilt. It is more than just a powerfully written book of remembrance and confession. andlt;Iandgt;Beautiful Nateandlt;/Iandgt; is an affirmation of the faithfulness of Jesus.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Nate was a beautiful young man, but like others his age he made some mistakes. In our precious times together, I was able to see Nateand#8217;s heart and understand his confusion. I grieve Nateand#8217;s untimely loss and believe the journey in this book will touch youand#8212;and bring hope to circumstances that are not often understandable.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;This story of two men, father and son, and their unfinished journeys, is a Pearl bought at great price. It is a powerful book that looks at real life against the backdrop of a Christianity often painted in unrealistic colors. Regardless of your deep loss or disappointment, this book will leave you with renewed hope in our Saviorand#8217;s relentless pursuit.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Nateand#8217;s story, as told by his father, will captivate the reader and help change the lives of many as they read how this loving family is working its way through the most difficult challenge that any family can faceand#8212;the loss of a child.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Itand#8217;s a rare moment when a leader openly admits that he and his family are imperfect. With refreshing candor, Mansfield reveals the imperfection that is residing under his own roof. Transcending the and#8220;self-helpand#8221; and and#8220;how-toand#8221; genres, andlt;iandgt;Beautiful Nateandlt;/iandgt; is a vulnerable, courageous, real-life account of a family that is shaken to its core. Dennis Mansfield demonstrates that goodness and#8211; and love and#8211; can prevail through the worst of circumstances. For those of us who seek to better understand the and#8216;big thingsand#8217; in lifeand#8212;things like family, leadership, and parentingand#8212;andlt;iandgt;Beautiful Nateandlt;/iandgt; is required reading.and#8221;
Review
"Dennis
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"andlt;Iandgt;Beautiful Nate andlt;/Iandgt;captures the deep friendship and love of a father and son, as well as the subsequent difficulty involved in having that adult son be addicted to drugs. It also captures the hope that springs from being intentional as a family. The vulnerability and honesty of things that did not work is refreshing in Dennis Mansfield's work. There are no formulas in child raising. There is only the love of Christ which then directs everyhing else. andlt;Iandgt;Beautiful Nateandlt;/Iandgt; speaks candidly and openly about this truth."
Review
and#8220;I loved reading andlt;iandgt;Beautiful Nateandlt;/iandgt;. It is very touching and compelling. So many of Dennis Mansfieldand#8217;s observations are insightful. This book will be a great help to any family struggling to deal with the drug use of a child or the incarceration of a loved one.and#8221;
Review
andlt;divandgt;"andlt;iandgt;Beautiful Nateandlt;/iandgt; is not a parenting book, but it will help you be a better parent. It is not a self-help book, but it will be helpful to you.
Review
andlt;divandgt;"Dennis
Review
and#8220;andlt;iandgt;Beautiful Nateandlt;/iandgt; is not a parenting book, but it will help you be a better parent. It is not a self-help book, but it will be helpful to you. It is not a theological treatise, but will help you wrestle with who God is. You will find yourself laughing at times, pondering often, and feeling tears as you live through lifeand#8217;s most cruel twists with Dennis and Susan. You will also see how God is meeting them, and in the process, I believe, you will meet God as well.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Dennis and his family have been through and#8220;quite the journeyand#8221;and#8212;every step paved with many tears, every step paved with Godand#8217;s unyielding faithfulness. In this book, andlt;iandgt;Beautiful Nateandlt;/iandgt;, Dennis takes you along with him on that journey, and there can be no doubt that your life will be richer for it. You will grow closer to your own family, discover new strength for your own life-journey, and more than anything, fall all the harder on Godand#8217;s most amazing grace.and#8221;
Synopsis
In this heartrending memoir about faith and family, a conservative spokesman writes candidly of his beloved son and how even when you follow all the "rules," life can go very wrong.
HOPE and COMPASSION for FAMILIES
Beautiful Nate offers valuable insights into what went wrong in a dedicated Christian family and how things might have gone differently--giving parents direction for raising their own children in a troubled world. Exploring the differences between fear-based parenting, child-centered parenting, and healthy intentional parenting, author Dennis Mansfield shares hard-earned wisdom and powerful ideas on what children need. Whether you're in the midst of parenting small children or have experienced the heartbreak of a child gone astray, you'll find guidance and hope for your journey in this poignant, real-life story.
***
Even when you follow all the rules, LIFE CAN GO VERY WRONG. . .
Dennis Mansfield and his wife Susan planned for and expected every parent's dream but instead lived every parent's nightmare. This haunting memoir tells the story of a father who diligently followed all the parenting rules that he learned from conservative Christian "experts"; yet life with his son Nate went terribly wrong when the young man died at twenty-seven of drug-related causes. It wasn't that the principles Dennis followed were faulty; it was that the promised guarantee turned out to be void.
The author, a national leader in the pro-family movement of the 1990s, reveals what did and did not work in raising a child within the evangelical framework. But rather than losing his faith and abandoning the God he'd trusted, Dennis eventually found new joy and purpose--with a more compassionate and realistic view of the roles parents play and the rules they follow.
As you read this sobering yet refreshing account, you will find direction for your own parenting style and encouragement after life's disappointments. Whether you are in the midst of parenting small children or have experienced the heartbreak of a child gone astray, you'll find guidance and hope for your journey in this poignant, real-life story.
Synopsis
In this heartrending memoir about faith and family, a conservative spokesman writes candidly of his beloved son and how even when you follow all the “rules,” life can go very wrong. Family-values guru Dennis Mansfield and his wife Susan planned for and expected every parent’s dream when their son Nate was born. Instead, they lived every parent’s nightmare.
A leader in the evangelical public policy arena, Dennis Mansfield was a candidate for U.S. Congress in 2000 when he learned of his oldest son’s drug use. Though Dennis and Susan turned their attention to helping drug addicts and their families, they were powerless to stop the death of their own son in 2009 at the age of twenty-seven. Beautiful Nate lucidly recounts these difficult years while painting a picture of what did and did not work in raising a child within the evangelical framework. Rather than lose faith in the God he trusted, Dennis eventually found new joy and purpose—with a much more compassionate and realistic view of the role parents play and the guidelines they follow.
As readers travel with Dennis on his journey of discovery, they will find a more nuanced view of parenting—and gain invaluable insights into dealing with their own life trials.
About the Author
andlt;Bandgt;Dennis Mansfieldandlt;/Bandgt; helped lead the fight for traditional family values for almost two decades while working in association with Focus on the Family, the Family Research Council, and the Promise Keepers movement. In 2009 he helped form 8:4 Pictures, where he writes and works as an executive producer.