Past the Gray Curtain: My Road to Full Life as a Person with Disabilities

Past the Gray Curtain is a memoir about the process of coming to terms with the impact of blindness on identity, relationships, and faith from early in life. The book has won a bronze medal in the North American Book Awards and a medal in the Book Excellence Awards.
Sarah Blake LaRose was accustomed to living and participating in school, church and community along with her sighted peers. But during her young life she was confronted with experiences that challenged her understanding of her selfhood and caused her to ask, "What does it mean to be blind?" Her faith was an anchor for her as a teenager; but during her early college years she had an experience that shook that faith.
She chose to stay in the church and reconstruct her faith, even while she struggled with recurring loss of her limited sight due to complications of premature birth. Read to find out how she managed her faith reconstruction.
Sarah's story is filled with moments of grace, joy and humor as well as reflections on disability, relationships, self-advocacy, and faith. She speaks openly about the highs and lows of life--not as a blind person but as a young person struggling to fit blindness into its place amid the many facets of her life.
For people who have experienced feelings of self-doubt or faith challenges, her story will speak companionship. You will find you have things in common with her whether or not you have a disability.
Past the Gray Curtain is a book that visually impaired readers resonate with but is written primarily for sighted readers. It is excellent for pastors and church leaders who are seeking to broaden their understanding of the experience of people with disabilities in faith formation. It is also excellent reading for medical professionals who seek to understand the human experience of the treatment they provide.
Great for individual reading or group discussion.

Sarah Blake LaRose holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Anderson University (Anderson, Indiana), where she taught biblical language courses as an adjunct professor for ten years. She has worked as a braille transcriber since 2009, specializing in the provision of ancient language materials. Her hobbies include cooking, reading, singing, playing the piano, and gardening. She shares her home with her husband, Kevin, and four dearly beloved cats. Her home also displays mementos of her years spent traveling with seven Seeing Eye dogs by her side.