When her certainties crumbled, she found a fierce new truth far from home. After a shattering betrayal tore through her faith and identity, writer Lauren Cibene clung to the fragments of a life once totally defined by evangelicalism. In the wake of her betrayal, she wrestled with anxiety, borderline agoraphobia, and depression while her faith community tried to rush through her grief. That’s when Cibene spontaneously abandoned the familiar for the unpredictable: India. As she journeys through the riot of Kolkata, the markets of Jaipur, the sacred ghats of Varanasi, and more, she confronts the ghosts of her past, the wounds of her present, and the specter of her future. Every encounter—fumbling with a sari in a dim rest stop bathroom, staring into the flames of funeral pyres, holding the hands of people living with leprosy—puts her one step closer to reclaiming her trust in humanity, the Divine, and herself. Like Pi in Life of Pi , she finds an unlikely survival companion—her own fierce, resilient spirit, a tigress waiting to be unleashed. Tiger in a Lifeboat is an intimate, immersive, and honest testament to travel's transformative power, the reclaiming of self-trust in a world that often strips it away, and the slow, ultimately beautiful journey back to oneself. "A beautiful story of faith and doubt, bravery and fear, safety and risk. Lauren's vulnerable writing is a balm to an anxious soul. Different, yet familiar. A reminder that the world is bigger than our own bubble and we are capable of more than we think." - April Ajoy , author of Star-Spangled Jesus "Full of wisdom and compassion for those like her who have faced their own versions of 'breaking, ' Cibene is a gentle guide for those of us whose faith has shifted or broken. But more than anything else, I recommend this book because it's a good story. I couldn't stop reading this book, and I dare you to try." - Liz Charlotte Grant , author of Knock at the Sky "Lauren Cibene's journal of self-discovery and growth may seem highly specific-battling anxiety and low confidence while traveling across India for several overseas projects. But her journey is universal. In today's black-and-white world, the path of wisdom gets shrouded in a fog of gray. Lauren's story serves as a guideline through the fog." - Sarah Henn Hayward , author of Giving Up God " Tiger in a Lifeboat is a beautifully written memoir of this kind of healing. Grab tightly to the tail of the tigress within you and join Lauren Cibene for a courageous, candid, liberating journey." - Liz Cooledge Jenkins, author of Nice Churchy Patriarchy "There are books you read, and then there are books you experience-this is one of the latter. Lauren has created a tapestry of pain and transformation that feels deeply personal and profoundly universal. If you've ever found yourself standing in the ruins of what you once believed, Tiger in a Lifeboat will remind you that faith can be rebuilt and joy can be recultivated . . . one trembling step at a time." - Kristen LaValley , author of Even if He Doesn't "We have all needed Lauren's voice and didn't know it until now. Tiger in a Lifeboat threads the needle of being willing to walk away after disillusionment from faith and fighting for bright and beautiful hope. It is real, relatable, and an important story for anyone who has ever wrestled with God." - Raj Lulla , author of The Caring House "Stories worth reading are written by those courageous enough to tell the truth. They make us uncomfortable yet wonderfully seen, affirming where we are while pushing us forward as spiritual companions. Tiger in a Lifeboat is such a story-raw, honest, and beautifully told. Along the way, I got to know Lauren and experienced India through her eyes-its people, culture, and life-giving spirit, which shaped both her journey and mine." - Matt Reynolds , founder of Stoke and Medici House / Medici Nights " Tiger in a Lifeboat is a carefully told tale, not a tell-all, but a tell-just-this. Cibene invites her reader into the universal story of pain and suffering, with a south Asia twist. Cleverly weaving her own story with the classic Life of Pi , she gives heft and frame to the million little ways we heal our pain." - Lore Ferguson Wilbert , author of The Understory Lauren Cibene is a doubtful-yet-hopeful Jesus person, gym rat, bookworm, and writer. She used to be a confident evangelical, a homeschool student, a foster mom, a world traveler, a professional photographer. Now she's a business co-owner and daylights as a conversion copywriter, penning words even non-readers read-descriptions on product packaging and Amazon pages-but she moonlights over on Substack. She lives with her husband near Atlanta.