Grace For The Good Girl - Emily P Freeman - A Short Summary & Review

 Grace For The Good Girl - Letting Go of the Try Hard Life - Emily P Freeman - A Short Summary & Review

By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures

A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review

Why God doesn't want us to hide our imperfections.

A short summary:

Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman explores why God does not ask His children to hide their imperfections—or exhaust themselves trying to appear whole. Aimed especially at women who equate faithfulness with constant effort, the book gently dismantles the belief that spiritual maturity is earned through striving.

Freeman reframes grace as an invitation to honesty rather than performance. She encourages readers to stop managing appearances, stop carrying what was never theirs to carry, and learn to trust God with both strength and weakness. The book is less about self-improvement and more about self-offering—bringing one’s real self into God’s care.

My favorite quote from the book:

"When we believe that God expects us to try hard to become who Jesus wants us to be, we will live in that blurry, frustrating land of Should Be rather than trust in The One Who Is."

- Emily P Freeman, Grace For The Good Girl

Questions to ponder while reading:

What imperfections do you hide?

Can you let go of your image?

My review:

Grace for the Good Girl is a compassionate and incisive read for anyone who does too much, helps too often, or believes they must have everything together before God can truly love them. Freeman writes with clarity and empathy, naming the quiet exhaustion that comes from trying to be endlessly capable.

This book speaks directly to those who refuse help—whether out of pride, fear, or long habit. Freeman gently challenges the assumption that dependence is failure, reminding readers that grace is not a reward for competence but a gift for the willing.

Above all, this is a book for those afraid to be real. It invites vulnerability without spectacle and faith without pretense. Grace for the Good Girl does not demand transformation through effort; instead, it offers rest, truth, and the freedom that comes from letting go of the need to be impressive.

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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life

She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.

You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.

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