An excellent book for those struggling with pain (physical, emotional or spiritual) or those supporting someone struggling with pain. In short, an excellent book for everyone. Yancey provides thoughtful well researched information instead of pat answers and platitudes.

i learned a lot from this book, but it got water damaged before I could finish it. I look forward to finding another copy someday & finishing it.

I suppose I am officially a Yancey fan since I have read several of his books and seem to like them all. This one talked a lot more about pain in the beginning. In fact, I got a science lesson on what parts of the body can endure the most pain and why, which was quite fascinating.

He also went into detail about leprosy by giving detailed accounts by those who suffer from the affliction. I didn't know much about the disease, so it too was interesting to learn more about. Eventually, he discussed the horrors of the holocaust and the suffering so many endured. I like books that cover this era, and he brought up one I will need to look into.

I don't know that he adequately answered the question of the title, as he gave the same sort of answer one would expect: God is there with those who suffer, he too suffered by sending his son, yada, yada. Thus, I didn't find the title and its answer nearly as captivating as the stories from people who have suffered horrific ailments and found a way to turn their pain into something good. This message is nothing new, but hearing the individual stories helped bring the message to life. Sharing these personal account is, perhaps, what Yancey does best and is why I will continue to check out more of his works.

I thought the overall message was wonderful. It could have been made in 1/3 of the book. As much as I loved the content, there was simply too much of it.

Yancey creates a beautiful book about suffering and the heart of God. Great for anyone going through a painful time, wondering where God has gone.

I thought that this was an okay book. There are a few profound passages that gave me a lot to think about but overall I thought it was just an okay book. There is a much much better book about suffering and the good that can come from it called "What's Good About Feeling Bad?" I would highly recommend the mentioned book for those who are trying to understand why we suffer and those looking for hope and the good in the midst of suffering.