Addie Zierman is a writer, blogger and recovering Jesus freak. She studied creative nonfiction at Hamline University and received her MFA there in 2010. Addie blogs regularly at www.AddieZierman.com where she's working to redefine her faith one cliche at a time. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband, Andrew, and their two young sons.
Praise for When We Were on Fire
"With its luminous prose, Zierman’s memoir reads like a novel,
threaded with imperfect faith, doubt, deep searching, love and
friendship and loss and depression…A book to savor to the very last
page.” –Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)
“Fire provides light and warmth, or it can bring pain and
destruction. Addie tells us a story in which her fiery faith
sparked both outcomes and how she’s worked to contain those flames.
She walks the reader through this process with such grace, humor,
and utter transparency that I couldn’t help but see my own faith
journey in hers. A refreshing, hopeful book from an expert
storyteller.”
—Jason Boyett, author of O Me of Little Faith
“Addie Zierman’s unflinching candor and tender vulnerability make
When We Were on Fire a must-read memoir. I ached for the wholesome,
eager young girl seeking to serve God with all her heart, and wept
for her—for all of us—who have experienced that particular keening
heartbreak of being consumed by zeal. Addie walks through fire and
still comes through shining with hope.”
—Elizabeth Esther, author of Girl at the End of the World
“Addie Zierman is a poet with a lion’s heart. When We Were on Fire
is a memoir of such sophisticated and witty grace, it reads as the
laughing prayer of a vagabond saint. Zierman’s words take root in
you, grow slowly, and push outward into a ring of endless light.
Would that in my own days of fire, youth groups, and See You at the
Pole rallies, I had been given this book with the single word:
‘Hope.’”
—Preston Yancey, author of SeePrestonBlog.com
“Addie speaks for an evangelical generation who came of age in the
American teen ghetto of youth group short-term mission trips and
longings for revival, contemporary Christian music, and WWJD. Her
journey through the disillusionments and then her rebellion against
the false boundary-markers and empty language of an “on fire” faith
culminate in her ongoing journey of hope and redemption. There is a
wise sadness to her words, a depth that disarms. Addie is a
beautiful writer, but she’s also bold and honest as she tends the
wounds of consumer evangelicalism on her old self, and then bravely
gathers up all these disparate pieces of the painful and lovely
obsessive faith of her past with new grace and gentle strength to
move forward.”
—Sarah Bessey, author of Jesus Feminist
“For all of us who found our way while steeped in evangelical
culture, Addie has written us a love letter. Hilarious and
heartfelt, passionate and poetic, her take on growing up
evangelical reveals a classic coming-of-age story with an
evangelical twist. Through clean and messy faith, confusion, love
lost and gained, she reflects deeply on each experience with enough
humility and humor to keep you turning pages through this easy and
beautiful read. You will love When We Were on Fire from beginning
to end, as did I.”
—Grace Biskie, author of Converge Bible Studies: Kingdom Building,
contributing author of Talking Taboo: American Christian Women Get
Frank About Faith, and writer for DeeperStory.com and Prodigal &
Prism magazine
“Reading When We Were on Fire was like reading my own story. It’s
an insightful, unflinching look at growing up evangelical. Addie
recounts her misplaced zeal and resulting crisis of faith with
humor and poignancy…ultimately discovering that a relationship with
God is less about following Christian culture norms and more about
following Him.”
—Kristen Howerton, blogger at Rage Against the Minivan, and
psychology professor at Vanguard University
“It’s rare that a storyteller comes along with the ability to
address important issues of life and faith with strength and
profound openness. Addie Zierman is that kind of storyteller, and
she does just that with her debut book When We Were on Fire. With a
keen grasp on the intricacies and absurdities of Christian
subculture, Addie bravely tells her story of a real, honest, and
vulnerable faith that will resonate with readers of all ages. When
We Were on Fire is a true pleasure to read.”
—Nish Weiseth, author of Speak: How Your Story Can Change the
World, and editor-in-chief at DeeperStory.com
“Addie Zierman is a master storyteller whose sharp wit is matched
only by her disarming sincerity. When We Were on Fire introduces
her as one of this generation’s most promising new voices. Prepare
to laugh out loud and nod along as this book delights, challenges,
tickles, and inspires. For those of us working to reconcile the
faith of our youth with the faith of our adulthood, it’s such a joy
to have a friend like Addie along for the journey.”
—Rachel Held Evans, author of Evolving in Monkey Town and A Year of
Biblical Womanhood
“The best kind of memoir is so deeply personal that it tells a
universal story. In Addie’s memoir you will find funny, messy,
cringe-worthy, and beautiful moments that cut close to home—those
experiences that we would like to relegate to youth but in truth
lurk not far beneath the surface of every phase of life. If you are
weary of sanitized and teetotaling stories, and are hungry for
honest and redemptive stories, then this is your story.”
—Adam S. McHugh, author of Introverts in the Church
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