It’s been one month since I gave birth to my memoir, Finding Fullness: A Story of Hope Amid Waiting. After an epic final labor (countless sleepless nights and long, painful hours hunched over my laptop), I’ve felt like a first time mom savoring quiet, awestruck days with her newborn, recovering from physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion, and hiding from the world as I adjust to a new normal. Finally, I’m ready to share my “baby.”
Why did Addie write a memoir? Is her life interesting enough to warrant a personal narrative at her young age? Who is the book for? Why should I read it?
I’m glad you asked. In a nut shell, the book documents my journey with faith and singleness. It’s written as a testimony of hope amid the trials of waiting seasons, and is intended to encourage Gen Z Christian women who are navigating singleness.
If that’s enough to tickle your interest, you can stop reading here and go buy the book! If that description doesn’t apply to you, see my caveat below (aka why you should read the book anyway).
For those curious about the background, here’s a summary of the book-writing process from conception to delivery to sweet newborn bliss.
The Purpose
In high school, inspired by authors like Sara Hagerty and Katie Davis Majors who use stories from their everyday life to communicate spiritual truths, I decided that one day I would write a book in a similar style. The topic would be romantic relationships—the predominant subject of my reading, prayers, thoughts, and conversations for as long as I can remember. There was only one problem: I was single.
In college, I wrote many angsty blog posts about singleness as a way to make sense of it. What was I doing wrong? Why did I feel hidden, unable to attract Prince Charming and attain the coveted “ring by spring,” as others at my private Christian college seemed to achieve effortlessly?
As I complained to a friend about my inability to write a book on romantic relationships because I had yet to experience one, my friend suggested maybe I should write about singleness instead. Most people who write about relationships are already married. What would it look like for someone still actively waiting for romance to write from the place of longing and hope deferred?
Horrified, I said absolutely not! I feared that writing about singleness would keep me stuck in the dreaded, unwanted season. Deep down, I knew my friend’s suggestion was compelling, but I continued pushing the thought aside—which became easier to do when I finally dated after college. I believed marriage, happily ever after, and a book about the unique build-up to my long-awaited relationship were just around the corner. Instead, I found myself shocked and heartbroken when we broke up.
Fine, I begrudgingly told the Lord. I guess I’m supposed to write that book about singleness.
The Process
I technically began my book in 2021, holding a vague vision of a story that would celebrate singleness as a fruitful, beautiful calling. However, I still saw singleness as a less-than social status and had plenty of angst and heartache to work through. I spent the next several years living the story before I could write the story.
Over time, I learned to lament my disappointments, grieve the death of good dreams, wrestle with unfulfilled longings, and embrace singleness through surrender to Jesus—the one whom all our waiting, longing, and suffering point to. And yes, unwanted seasons of singleness are a form of suffering. I can’t say I love suffering, but I’ve come to appreciate it as sacred, fertile time where we are shaped profoundly and discover intimacy with God. I’ve also accepted singleness as a FUN season marked by freedom and fullness—even as I continue longing for marriage.
In summer 2025, compelled by the hope of preventing other young women from believing their worth and happiness is dependent on being in a romantic relationship, I committed to taking the pieces of narrative scattered in a word document and transforming them into a full manuscript. I also decided to pursue self-publishing with the goal of giving printed copies to the high school girls I mentor. With renewed vigor and a slightly irrational timeline, I poured every spare hour and ounce of energy into this project.
There’s more I can share in another post about the CRAZY provisions over the last year that allowed me to transform a very scrappy first draft into a polished version I’m proud to release to the world—in a season when publishing should not have been possible. (Teaser: I rewrote the book three times on top of working full time and moving houses four times). Although the timing seemed foolish to me, the Lord kept spring 2026 on my mind as the launch date. In fact, in faith, I sent launch party invitations before I had finished writing the final chapter. But sure enough, the Lord provided unexpected pockets of time to write, friends skilled in editing, and endurance through the intense final push to publishing. In his perfect timing, the book was released just in time to give to my youth girls as a high school graduation gift.
It’s impossible to explain the partnership with the Lord I experienced throughout the writing process other than to say that this project is an act of obedience more than my own creativity. I simply retold the story God wrote for me and remained dependent on him for the vision every step of the way. I’m thrilled to share the outcome with you and honored that my experience of pain and disappointment has become a testimony of hope in God’s goodness.
The Prayer
This book contains everything I wish a mentor had told me as an emerging adult. While the stories are geared toward Gen Z Christian girls who are in a season of singleness, everyone experiences hope deferred and periods of waiting. Wherever you are on your journey with faith, hope, and waiting, I pray you’ll find this story deeply encouraging. Your season of loss and waiting is not wasted. You can know fullness of joy through Jesus in every circumstance.
To borrow from RAYE’s latest album, THIS BOOK MAY CONTAIN HOPE.
The Caveat(s)
Some of you will skim this article and decide not to buy my book. I won’t take it personally. But if you think this content doesn’t apply to you, please keep in mind those in your life who may benefit from receiving this book as a gift. Or, consider reading it yourself to better understand the experience of prolonged singleness and difficult breakups. Perhaps you’ll find language to empathize and connect with people of all ages who are holding the pain of unmet expectations and hope deferred.
You may also consider buying my book simply to read a story that says even when we experience disappointment in our lives and the brokenness of this world, God is still good. As we proclaim every week in the Anglican liturgy, Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ WILL come again. On that day, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). That is our future and our hope. We need as many reminders of that truth as we can get.
Finally, some of you may be in a hard place with your faith, or not identify as a Christian at all. I’m so honored that you trust me enough to read my story. It’s written with conviction, but not preachy nor meant to convert. I hope we can agree that authentic stories about the struggles and beauty of the human experience are sorely needed in the world of AI and digital deluge. I offer you this one as a real, honest, and vulnerable labor of love which you may find surprisingly relatable.
Friends, I offer you my story and am eager to hear how it impacts you. Reach out to me with your thoughts, and subscribe to future posts from Finding Fullness Collective—a community of people pursuing fullness and authenticity in Christ. Happy reading!