Suburban life--including tract homes, strip malls, commuter culture--shapes our desires. More than half of Americans live in the suburbs. Ashley Hales writes that for many Christians, however: "The suburbs are ignored ('Your place doesn't matter, we're all going to heaven anyway'), denigrated and demeaned ('You're selfish if you live in a suburb; you only care about your own safety and advancement'), or seen as a cop-out from a faithful Christian life ('If you really loved God, you'd move to Africa or work in an impoverished area'). In everything from books to Hollywood jokes, the suburbs aren't supposed to be good for our souls." What does it look like to live a full Christian life in the suburbs? Suburbs reflect our good, God-given desire for a place to call home. And suburbs also reflect our own brokenness. This book is an invitation to look deeply into your soul as a suburbanite and discover what it means to live holy there. "Ashley is the rare sort of writer, imaginative yet concrete, prophetic yet gentle. She only cuts where she can bring healing. She brings just this sort of writing to Finding Holy in the Suburbs . And whether you're a suburban dweller, city slicker, or rural resident, this book has a powerful word to say about place and belonging." (Seth Haines, author of Coming Clean: A Story of Faith) "Ashley is the rare sort of writer, imaginative yet concrete, prophetic yet gentle. She only cuts where she can bring healing. She brings just this sort of writing to Finding Holy in the Suburbs . And whether you're a suburban dweller, city slicker, or rural resident, this book has a powerful word to say about place and belonging." -- Seth Haines, author of Coming Clean: A Story of Faith Our places shape our loves. From our routes and routines to the history of our places. Often we just don't see how our places affect our spiritual lives. Here is a book that pays attention to the stories our places tell and how the story of the gospel can change our lives wherever we live.  If you're wanting to live your faith in your ordinary life, love your neighborhood, and be transformed no matter where you live, I hope you'll read Finding Holy in the Suburbs. (And, be sure to get on my email list at aahales.com for free resources about the book and/or have me speak for your group) Ashley Hales (PhD, University of Edinburgh) is editorial director, print for Christianity Today . She is the author of Finding Holy in the Suburbs and A Spacious Life , and her work focuses on the surprising and renewing work of a Christian imagination. She is a Kirby Laing Centre Academic Fellow, an advisor to the Covenant College board of trustees, and a cofounder of The Willowbrae Institute. Ashley lives on the central coast of California with her husband Bryce andtheir four children. Ashley Hales (PhD, University of Edinburgh) is editorial director, print for Christianity Today . She is the author of Finding Holy in the Suburbs and A Spacious Life , and her work focuses on the surprising and renewing work of a Christian imagination. She is a Kirby Laing Centre Academic Fellow, an advisor to the Covenant College board of trustees, and a cofounder of The Willowbrae Institute. Ashley lives on the central coast of California with her husband Bryce and their four children.