The Artist's Daughter

A Memoir

by: Alexandra Kuykendall

• Format

  E-Book

  ISBN

  9781441242716

  Pub. Date

  Apr 2013

  SRP

  $13.99

  Buy

About

It takes a lifetime to know what--and who--defines you.

When Alexandra Kuykendall became a mother, she knew she had to go back to the beginning. To that hot July afternoon in Barcelona when she met her father for the first time. The only daughter of a single, world-traveling mother and an absent artist father, Alexandra embarks on a soul-searching trip into the past to make sense of the layers of her life--both the memories she experienced and the ones she wished for.

The Artist's Daughter will take you on a journey of discovery through childhood, marriage, and motherhood. Through short vignettes full of both wonder and heartache, Alexandra seeks answers to three life-defining questions: Am I lovable? Am I loved? Am I loving? If you long to better understand the path your life has taken, where it is heading, and who is guiding you, this revealing and refreshing story will push you toward those answers as it changes your heart.


"For every person who has wondered what love, family, and grace really mean, and for those of us who have longed to know that no matter our story, grace is the ending."--Shauna Niequist, author of Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet, and Bread & Wine

"The Artist's Daughter brings to life the power of a story and at the same time challenges us all to dig in and discover the one we were created to tell."--Matthew West, award-winning musician

"A refreshing perspective on motherhood, forgiveness, faith, and belonging. I adore this book."--Emily P. Freeman, author of Grace for the Good Girl and Graceful

"Any mother who has felt lost in her new identity will find a friend in this book. It is the real deal--the hard, beautiful, and holy view of motherhood."--Lisa-Jo Baker, social media manager for DaySpring, and blogger at lisajobaker.com

---

Endorsements

"Alexandra Kuykendall has lived and written a beautiful, heartbreaking, grace-soaked story. This is a book for every person who has wondered what love, family, and grace really mean, and for those of us who have longed to know that no matter our story, grace is the ending. A lovely, honest, important book"

Shauna Niequist, author of Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet, and Bread & Wine; www.shaunaniequist.com

"There is such power in a story. And I am convinced there is a story that lies within all of us. The Artist's Daughter brings to life the power of a story and at the same time challenges us all to dig in and discover the story we were created to tell."

Matthew West, recording artist

"A refreshing perspective on motherhood, forgiveness, faith, and belonging. Alexandra Kuykendall is a gentle, trustworthy storyteller. Easy to read and beautifully written. I adore this book."

Emily P. Freeman, author of Grace for the Good Girl and Graceful

"The true power of a mom is vast and immeasurable, springing from the story of who she is, past and present. To fully understand this story is a profound discovery and the exact opportunity offered to the reader in The Artist's Daughter. Through poignant portrayal of her own life journey, Alexandra Kuykendall inspires reflection and extends an invitation to every woman to join her on an introspective journey into how God has uniquely crafted your story into his world. Why have you experienced the things in life that you have, and how have they shaped you? This is the path of discovery you will travel as you engage in The Artist's Daughter. A rare must-read treat!"

Sherry Surratt, CEO and president, MOPS International

"God's love is messy business, and Alexandra shows herself in the midst of the mess. While her story is about as different from my own as one could be, she and I grew up searching for the same things: unconditional love, security, and acceptance. You will be inspired to ask yourself the same messy questions about love, God, and your relationship to him that Alexandra did, and you will be closer to him for the experience."

Kathi Lipp, speaker and author of The Me Project and Praying God's Word for Your Husband

"In The Artist's Daughter, Alexandra Kuykendall layers the lessons of her childhood with those of her adult life to discover just what--and who--has really formed her identity as a woman, mom, and leader. With colorful and honest brushstrokes, she welcomes us all into the studio of her life, where we gain an understanding of the master artist's work in our own identity formation."

Elisa Morgan, author, speaker, publisher, FullFill.org; president emerita, MOPS International

"I was moved, truly moved, so powerfully by this book. A raw, powerful, and honest read! Alexandra reaches into the beauty and ache of a daughter's soul and takes the reader on the journey toward a deeper, more connected life with God. Her story is a cacophony of vibrant love and loss and all that we experience during the moments in between. A truly relatable story that has changed my heart. I recommend it so very highly!"

Tracey Bianchi, pastor for women and author of Mom Connection

"As any mother knows, one of the scariest parts of motherhood is figuring out all over again who we are. Where the old me ends and the new-mom me begins. In this book Alex takes us by the hand and gently, artfully walks us through her wrenching transition. A journey made up of her colliding cultures and her absent father as much as of her labors and deliveries. Any mother who has felt lost in her new identity will find a friend in this book. It is the real-deal, hard, beautiful, and holy view of motherhood from one mom to another trying to make sense of the preschool years."

Lisa-Jo Baker, social media manager for DaySpring and blogger

---