Rosemary Trible spent a night of terror being raped at gunpoint.  She tells in her book how she came through her journey from fear to faith to forgiveness to freedom and her life was transformed. The insights and lessons she shares will help all those who struggle with fear and pain to begin their own journey of healing. Her heart responded to two questions asked at a church service, “What if you didn’t have to be so afraid, and what if you could help someone else not be so afraid.”  She knew it was time to share her story that others might be set free to live in freedom.

Rosemary’s public life as wife of Paul Trible, former U.S. Senator now President of Christopher Newport University, has given her an opportunity to reach out to hundreds of women.  Having traveled her own dark road of fear she is able to connect on a deep level with all those dealing with failure, loneliness, abuse or lack of self-worth and encourage them to embrace a new life of faith, hope, forgiveness and purpose.

Though this book includes moments of pain, it doesn’t dwell on the dark side.  It shows how women who have been there can move to the light.  It's about sexual assault, terror, forgiveness, and healing.  It's about big dreams, the death of dreams, and becoming bold enough to dream again and make a difference in the world for good.  It's about growing out of cultural boxes, moving into racial reconciliation, and building friendships that only God could make possible. It’s about hope and healing, and the profound message that the cycle of fear and anxiety can be broken.

Reconciliation is an important message of this book. Rosemary encourages us to pursue friendships out of our comfort zones and to embrace diversity in today’s often-polarized world. Through her experience at Mother Teresa’s House of the Dying in Calcutta she learned rich lessons, through traveling among orphans and villagers in Cambodia, Vietnam, China, and Cuba. With International Cooperating Ministries leading mission trips, Rosemary saw the hand of God powerfully at work in the lives of others.  Among the poor, she learned rich lessons about freedom from fear, in spite of situations of great insecurity and despair. 

A life-altering event of what she calls a “near life experience” after a car accident forever took away her fear of death. Even though she could not speak, move or open her eyes in the hospital, she was completely embraced by the love of God.  Her glimpse of eternity has made her more passionate than ever for others to experience the presence of Jesus and the forgiveness and freedom he brings.  She brings an unforgettable peek into heaven that assures us, “We can begin to live in the presence of God in the here and now and the light of God’s countenance is with us even when we can not see His presence or feel his touch. His peace is with us.  His Spirit is in us, and His power is for us today and always.”

Rosemary’s story will elicit tears, but also laughter.  It’s easy to read.  It’s passionate and real, not preachy.  It will appeal to people who are hungry for the presence of God and are weary of religious “dos” and “don’ts.”  It also features the stories of young women Rosemary has mentored.  These stories of healing from eating disorders, sexual violation, depression and bitterness will encourage readers to begin their own healing process. 

She is open about her deepest tragedy and the horror of one of the most revolting violations a woman can experience.  She has broken through cultural barriers to connect with people very different from herself.  She has soaked up the love of God in a spiritual realm few have known.  And she has experienced all these things while in the spotlight of public life.  It’s as if God allowed Rosemary to go through great pains and challenges so she could then use her experience to reach out to the poor, the powerless, and the broken, that others might know the joyful freedom from fear that she has discovered.

Fear to Freedom provides practical tools from Rosemary’s own life and the transformed lives of others. This will help others learn how to live in freedom from anxiety, worry and fear and be encouraged to develop a passion to pass what they have learned on to others.  They will be strengthened in their faith to discover the power of forgiveness, the passion for prayer and the joy of living in the presence of God.

If you or someone you love has faced fear or been deeply hurt-if you are searching for answers to find new freedom in your life-this book is for you! You can find inspiration on your own journey of hope and healing.