Review of ALL THAT FILLS US by Autumn Lytle

This book gets my nomination for book of the year, hands down. It is he breathtaking and awe-inspiring story of a young woman named Mel Ellis who suffers from an eating disorder and a lack of self worth that is slowly killing her. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, she decides to take a pilgrimage on foot from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Mount Ranier in Washington state. The people she meets along the way are both memorable and inspirational. They don’t only insist on feeding her physically, but they also feed her hungry soul. What she is searching for is not found in a protein bar or fewer pounds on the scale, but it is found within herself if she can only survive to discover that truth. This book is a testament to the God who created each of us and who loves each of us as though there is only one of us. Mel realizes that she is damaged goods and throughout the book she has to come to terms with the fact that she can never do enough or be enough to be accepted. She just has to accept that she is. Her pilgrimage is a story that needed to be told and is told in a sweeping saga, complete with beautiful imagery of all that she sees and experiences. My favorite characters besides Mel are Chrystal and David, a sister and her young brother, who offer Mel shelter, first aid and a family that accepts her just as she is. I loved this book and all of its beautiful descriptive passages, but mostly I enjoyed the heartfelt message of hope that it gives.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”