Prodigal Daughter: Poems of Light for the Lost Ones

You can come home again.

Prodigal Daughter is a lyrical journey from a stolen childhood and the "gold and gowns" of worldly allure to a profound spiritual homecoming. In these pages, readers navigating their own restless search for belonging will find a sacred companion in Deborah Rutherford's vulnerable and resonant verse. Journeying through five powerful movements-Innocence, Strife, Awakening, Restoration, and Dancing-Deborah explores what it is to be relentlessly pursued by Grace. Finding God in the quietest moments-from a rain-soaked hotel room in Budapest to a walk beneath the Georgia pines-Prodigal Daughter celebrates a Love that turns ashes into beauty and affirms that you are never too far gone to come home.

Experience intimate storytelling with a memoir rendered in Verse.

Through unflinching honesty, Deborah invites us into the landscape of her life: a pilgrimage spanning from the rugged coast of Maine and the Smoky Mountains to the sun-drenched shores of Maui and Southern California. She explores the rebellious years of searching for belonging, the wilderness of disordered eating and self-harm, the grief of abortion and loss, and the slow, miraculous awakening to a God who never stopped pursuing her.

Come find healing through ancient stories and contemporary retellings.

Deborah uniquely weaves Scripture with personal narrative, showing how ancient stories intersect with contemporary life. Biblical imagery of gardens, water, and the wilderness threads throughout the collection, reminding the reader that God's redemptive work follows consistent patterns across generations:

-The Woman at the Well finds modern resonance in the poem "Arrival."

-The Paralytic's healing mirrors Deborah's own restoration in "Going Home."

-The faith of the Bleeding Woman and the testimony of Saint Stephen become mirrors for Deborah's own struggles and the search for a new heart.

-And more...

DEBORAH RUTHERFORD is a poet, author, speaker, and Emmy recipient for her makeup artistry in film and television. Her poetry was recognized in the Storytellers Poetry Contest, and the honored poem is included in her debut collection, Prodigal Daughter, which emerged from her own story of restoration in Christ. With Welsh, English, and Mexican roots, Deborah's diverse heritage informs her perspective on belonging. Her work has been published in The Way Back to Ourselves, Vessels of Light, Calla Press, and Prosetrics. A co-author of the Unexpected Blessings series and founder of the Behold-Her Beauty podcast, Deborah is represented by The Blythe Daniel Agency. Deborah writes to illuminate God's faithfulness and assure every wandering soul that they are unconditionally loved. She lives in Georgia with her husband, Don, where she enjoys singing old hymns and walking under the pines. You can find Deborah's writing at DeborahRutherford.substack.com and on Instagram @deborahrutherfordwrites.

Jennifer Camp is the Amazon bestselling author of Breathing Eden: On Light, Fresh Air, and New Things, Loop: What Women Need to Know, and The Uncovering, a book of poetry.