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Only one day after Jen Hatmaker discovered her husband of 26 years was having an affair, her intuition lead her to dissolution, not restoration. 

In an early chapter of hew new memoir, Hatmaker writes: “What instinct drove me to an attorney instead of back to a marriage therapist? I was acting purely on intuition — which I only figured out later is the most trustworthy character in the play.” 

Learning to listen to and trust her “inner knowing” is just one powerful lesson Hatmaker learned in the crucible. In “Awake,” she also talks about her split from the evangelical Christian church that first gave her a platform, her realigned views on sexuality and gender norms and how she was forced to learn to grieve. 

At it’s core, “Awake” is a midlife memoir about how to reinvent and reconnect to yourself when the world burns down around you. 

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In her new memoir, Jen Hatmaker is unflinching about the end of her publicly celebrated marriage. But more than a story about dissolution, “Awake” is about new beginnings — especially Hatmaker’s relationship to herself. 

Jen Hatmaker rises from the ashes in 'Awake'

Side-by-side image. On the left, the book cover for "Awake" by Jen Hatmaker with a purple flower. On the right, a portrait of Hatmaker.

Jen Hatmaker rises from the ashes in 'Awake'

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