So Help Me Gosh

A Memoir of Faith and Other Awkward Things

By: Brooke Barker

Narrated by: Brooke Barker

Length: 4 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

From the creator of the New York Times best-selling Sad Animal Facts series, Brooke Barker, comes a quirky, hilarious memoir-in-essays about her journey from a childhood in the Mormon church to a Jewish adulthood, and all the wonder and weirdness of faith.

When she was a teenager, Brooke wanted all the things she assumed every other girl her age wanted: boobs, a first kiss, and a spot in the Celestial Kingdom, the top Mormon heaven. But for all her praying and studying and modesty, she still hadn’t received a personal revelation from the Holy Ghost - a still small voice that sits with all worthy church members and whispers them advice and comfort. The voice told other people who to marry, what to major in, and which lane on the freeway would be the fastest, but Brooke heard nothing but silence. It seemed like a bad sign. And things only got more complicated from there.

In her first ever audio project, Brooke takes listeners through some of the most awkward moments of her adolescence - from a heaven-themed carnival, to surviving a school field trip she was sure would be interrupted by the Second Coming - as she continues to find faith in unexpected places. So Help Me Gosh, perfect for fans of Jenny Lawson and Jessi Klein, will delight and entertain anyone who’s grappled with their own beliefs and show just how powerful it can be to speak up when everyone tells you to keep listening.

©2020 Brooke Barker (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.

Charming and Funny

I really loved this book and hearing the author read it made it especially enjoyable. She has a warm, friendly voice - it felt like sitting with a friend who was telling me stories from her childhood. There was a lot of humor woven into poignant stories about family and faith. The author's description of so many childhood and teenage trials was spot-on and hilarious. Hearing about decision to leave the LDS church was thought provoking. As a Jew who joined the LDS church, I found it interesting, though, to hear her assert that Judaism is okay with gay marriage, which definitely isn't true in traditional Judaism. Nevertheless, I'm glad she found a place where she is happy and I look forward to enjoying more of her work!

Hilarious & Charming

Although my background is very different from Brooke's, her stories about childhood and middle school are instantly relatable as well as hilarious. Though it tackles some heavy subjects, the book is full of humor and charm. Brooke's style reminds me of Davis Sedaris and Nora Ephron. Excited to see what she does next!

Ok

A bit better than just ok. I learned quite a bit about Mormon religion. Enjoyed the humor though it is not LOL funny. Just the right length.

Hilarious and Thoughtful

I really enjoyed this quirky audiobook. it was funny and thought provoking. I hope the author writes more!

Meaningful and warmly funny memoir

I really enjoyed the story and performance! I found myself laughing and relating to so much of this. What a beautiful lens the author sees the world through. Highly recommend.

If you love stories of faith...

I wasn't expecting this story, but I'm so glad I got it. I love the It's Different Everyday page-a-day calendar. So I thought this would be a fun read. Brook did not disappoint. She has a lovely personality and a really great cozy writing style.

Coming from a conservative religious background I could really resonate with her even though my upbringing was quite different.

This is an easy listen , perfect for a person who grew up in the the late 90-early 2000s, and wants bits of thought provoking moments.

Poignant, relevant and clever

I loved listening to this book. I laughed out loud more times than I can count and went back to listen again to parts in the book that I just wanted to soak in again. Beautiful!

Such a Fun Listen

I really loved this audiobook. It reminded me a bit in style and tone of “The Mystery Show” podcast, which is one of my favorites ever. I have no background in the LDS church, but was raised evangelical and can really identify with Brooke’s evolution of beliefs towards the church’s teachings on social issues. I enjoyed every minute of it and just texted the link to some friends encouraging them to listen to it as well.

Loved it

As someone who left the Mennonite church about 10 years ago, and still wrestles with my faith, I really connected with the author’s story.

Witty and Uncannily Relatable, at Least to Us

My Jewish husband and I listened to this audiobook as we drove to Utah to visit my Mormon parents. We paused many, many times to discuss various things, so listening to this book took us about ten hours. A lot of that pausing has to do with the fact that he grew up Jewish and I grew up Mormon (and I was at BYU at the exact same time the author was—creepy). My husband said that he learned a lot more about me and my upbringing than I had ever told him. However, we both believe that the book would still be enjoyable to someone who was not raised Jewish or Mormon: Brooke Barker has an engaging narrative style, and the audiobook has some sound effects, which I think is pretty cool. As we listened, we laughed a lot and yelled "OH, MY GOD, YOU'RE KIDDING ME" often. You might not want to listen to this in a really quiet place where it would be weird for you to start laughing randomly. But you should listen to it.