The Art of Losing Yourself

Praise for

The Art of Losing Yourself

“Once again Ganshert holds us spellbound in a beautiful story of endurance and hope—offering no easy answers but the irresistible light of Christ to guide us. And what characters! Real, heartbroken, warm, and seeking. Within them we meet our friends, our family, ourselves. I thoroughly enjoyed this and, as always, eagerly await her next.”

—K
ATHERINE
R
EAY
, author of
Lizzy and Jane
and
Dear Mr. Knightley

“
The Art of Losing Yourself
highlights Katie Ganshert’s vivid prose as it brims with reality that will challenge and change you with every turn of the page. Ganshert is not afraid to write raw, to wrestle with the things that test our faith and, if we are willing, draw us closer to God.”

—B
ETH
K. V
OGT
, author of
Somebody Like You
, one of the
Publisher’s Weekly
Best Books of 2014

“Katie Ganshert’s poignant novel hits deep emotional chords as the characters battle to a place of healing through a haze of pain. As someone who has experienced the deep pain of miscarriage, I could so easily relate to Carmen’s journey. Carmen’s story emphasizes what I learned: the pain and broken relationships can be healed. While plumbing deep waters, this is a story of resounding hope and discovery. I highly recommend it!”

—C
ARA
P
UTMAN
, award-winning author of
Shadowed by Grace
and
Where Treetops Glisten

“This book will have readers lost in its pages for hours, journeying along with two sisters in a rich, emotionally-charged tale of second chances, restoration, and finding hope—and love—when it seems perpetually out of sight.”

—B
ETSY
S
T
. A
MANT
, author of
All’s Fair in Love and Cupcakes

“Sitting down with a Katie Ganshert novel is like talking with a trusted friend. It’s something to look forward to, knowing the conversation won’t disappoint and you’ll be the better for it at the end.
The Art of Losing Yourself
is a poignant tale of estrangement, loss, and grief, and the joy that comes in discovering you are indeed loved. In her classic tell-it-like-is style, Ganshert’s complex characters step off the page and invite you in. Their journeys are difficult but relatable, and we’re sucked along for the ride, rooting for them the whole
way. And when the last page is turned, we are left with a smile and the contented sigh that comes at the conclusion of every wonderful read.”

—C
ATHERINE
W
EST
, award-winning author of
Yesterday’s Tomorrow

“Katie Ganshert will sweep you into another world in
The Art of Losing Yourself
. I loved this book! The journey Katie’s characters take is raw, beautiful, and honest, and the prose is lovely.”

—C
INDY
W
OODSMALL
, author of A
Love Undone

“In
The Art of Losing Yourself
, Katie Ganshert has woven a sensitive story of hope and healing for our modern world. The empathy with which Ganshert explores the complexity of the human heart is so authentic and the depth of emotion so real, I was brought to tears more than once. Sisters, daughters, and mothers alike will find themselves moved by this book.”

—K
RISTY
C
AMBRON
, author of
The Butterfly and the Violin
and
A Sparrow in Terezin

“Wounded, heart-tugging characters. Beautiful prose. An emotional journey that holds the reader captive. Katie Ganshert has such a way of tapping into those raw, vulnerable places with her characters, and
The Art of Losing Yourself
is no exception. I love the thread of hope and unabashed honesty weaving through this story of loss and letting go.”

—M
ELISSA
T
AGG
, author of
From the Start

“With a keen attention to detail and a unique voice, Katie Ganshert has woven a poignant and powerful story in
The Art of Losing Yourself
. Universal themes, charged and realistic emotions, and characters readers will easily relate to make this story a standout.”

—C
OURTNEY
W
ALSH
, author of
Paper Hearts
and the
New York Times
e-book bestseller
A Sweethaven Summer

“
The Art of Losing Yourself
took my breath away with its ability to portray the complex facets of human relationships in such a realistic yet tender way. Ganshert’s writing creates a prism of perspectives into the lives of characters as deeply flawed as they are endearing. Carmen’s and Gracie’s stories made me laugh, made me cry, and made me
think
—and that’s my definition of a perfect novel.”

—D
EBORAH
R
ANEY
, author of
The Face of the Earth
and the Chicory Inn Novels series

B
OOKS BY
K
ATIE
G
ANSHERT

T
HE
A
RT OF
L
OSING
Y
OURSELF

P
UBLISHED BY
W
ATER
B
ROOK
P
RESS

12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200

Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921

Scripture quotations and paraphrases are taken from the following versions: The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The King James Version. The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
www.zondervan.com.

The characters and events in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons or events is coincidental.

ISBN 9781601425928

eBook ISBN 9781601425935

Copyright © 2015 by Katie Ganshert

Cover design by Kelly L. Howard; cover photography by Seth Goldfarb

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

W
ATER
B
ROOK
and its deer colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ganshert, Katie.

The art of losing yourself : a novel / Katie Ganshert. — First Edition.

ISBN 978-1-60142-592-8 (paperback) — ISBN 978-1-60142-593-5 (electronic)

I. Title.

PS3607.A56A89 2015

813′.6—dc23

2014043264

v4.1

a

For Salima, my brave, brave, brave little girl. Being your mother is one of the greatest honors I will ever be blessed with on this side of eternity. Come what may, God’s writing a grand story for your life
.