Devout

A Memoir of Doubt

By: Anna Gazmarian

Narrated by: Rachel LeBlang

A “moving” (Leslie Jamison, author of The Recovering) memoir that reconciles the author’s bipolar disorder diagnosis and her Evangelical faith to create a new framework for which to live.

In this “dazzling” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) memoir, Anna Gazmarian tells the story of how her Evangelical upbringing in North Carolina failed to help her understand the mental health diagnosis she received, and the work she had to do to find proper medical treatment while also maintaining her faith.

When Anna is diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2011, she’s faced with a conundrum: while the diagnosis provides clarity about her manic and depressive episodes, she must confront the stigma that her Evangelical community attaches to her condition. Over the course of ten years, we follow Anna on her journey to reframe her understanding of mental health to expand the limits of what her religious practice can offer.

In Devout: A Memoir of Doubt, Anna shows that pursuing our emotional health and our spiritual well-being is one single mission and, in both cases, an act of faith.

Critic reviews

"LeBlang performs this emotionally complex memoir, capturing Gazmarian’s insecurities and doubts as she struggles with her conservative religious community. LeBlang’s narration highlights the tension Gazmarian experiences as she questions her evangelical upbringing and her relief at finding acceptance through her found family."

Good book nightmare narrator

3.5: An interesting exploration of religious oppression and mental health. Good writer. I was at times distracted by her unwavering faith in god and jesus even as she commented on how traumatic Christianity is as a system- she still continued to comply without seeming to consider she could leave altogether.

The narrator was a true nightmare. Her choices for different characters were truly insane- no one speaks with any of those cadences and inflections- what is wrong with you? And the voice she chose for the narrator was like nails on a chalkboard- so excessively earnest and self deprecating- truly horrific. Please never narrate anything again.

Beautifully Real

The author's candid and vulnerable story is a delicate balance between authenticity and compassion, avoiding blame while still capturing the raw reality of their experiences. Through beautifully written words, the book serves as a balm to the soul, providing validation and hope to readers navigating similar challenges.

Great book. Insightful. Helpful.

Great book, Very insightful Completely enjoyed. Reminded me of some of my own struggles and what’s really important.