Love Without Borders

How Bold Faith Opens the Door to Embracing the Unexpected

By: Angela Braniff

Narrated by: Angela Braniff

Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's Summary

From the founder of This Gathered Nest YouTube channel, an uplifting story of Angela Braniff’s unusual path to becoming the mother to seven children through various methods of adoption and biological approaches, encouraging women and mothers to embrace the unique purpose that God has put in their lives.

Angela’s love for life and her family radiates through everything she does. The Braniff household includes their two biological daughters, Kennedy, 12, and Shelby 10; Rosie, seven, who was adopted from China with Down syndrome; Noah, seven, adopted from Congo; Jonah, five, adopted domestically; and finally, Ivy and Amelia, their one-year-old twins who were adopted as embryos and implanted in Angela, who gave birth to them. In fact, after the audiobook was finished, they joyfully welcomed a new baby into their home, Benjamin, through adoption, making them now a family of 10! 

Love Without Borders shares Angela's relatable, humorous, and honest view of motherhood. Angela chronicles her journey to discover God’s purpose for her life. For years she walked the safe, expected path, until one day she could feel God calling her to boldly step out and follow him into new places, which led her to raise a large, nontraditional family that looked different than she ever imagined. 

It was a winding path to motherhood, complete with heartbreak from failed adoptions, challenging pregnancies, and secondary infertility, but through it all Angela found the unique adventure God had for her. She has shared her family’s stories on her popular YouTube channel, This Gathered Nest, and now invites us in to go deeper and listen to where God might be calling us to go and who we’ve been tasked with loving, no matter how unusual (or just plain crazy) it may sound! The beauty of God’s plan is he uses imperfect people to bring about perfectly beautiful stories. 

©2020 Angela Braniff (P)2020 HarperAudio

I Wanted To Love This...

I really wanted to love this book, but I really found it very disappointing. Angela's story telling is amazing and she has a way of making the reader feel like they're standing right there with her through the good and the bad. I love her humor and the way she doesn't sugar coat the rough parts of her story. I have two main critiques of this book: 1. Most of this information is not new information for anyone who is a fan of Angela and her family and 2. I find the faith analyzing hypocritical and flawed.

To start off, I am a big fan of Angela and her YouTube channel. I have watched many, if not most, of her videos and know about the story of her children, so I was surprised that almost all of this book was information that you could get for free on her YouTube channel. It's disappointing purchasing a book filled with stories that I've already heard from her.

I realized quickly that this book was an analytical essay about God using her own life as anecdotal evidence. I am agnostic so I knew coming into this book that I wasn't going to see eye to eye with Angela, but I didn't think it was going to be as "preachy" as it ended up being. It was just so hard to see her acknowledge that life isn't easy and that adoptions are born out of loss and then turn around and talk about how God is great and had written this beautiful story for her life. I know that this is my big problem with religion, but how has "God's plan" for your family turned out so well, when others just as loyal to Him know nothing but suffering and live incredibly dark and painful lives? I understand that this is her is supposed to be her story, but I found her over-arching conclusions about God and His "will" to be hypocritical. I know it wasn't her intention, but it felt like her conclusion was that some parts of life with be rough, but as long as you trust God everything will be OK, when this isn't the case for so many people.

I really was hoping for more from this book.

A Must Read!

This book is life changing. Through her story, Angela paints a beautiful picture of what God can do in and through our lives when we simply say yes to him. As you read, it feels like a conversation between friends. You will laugh and cry right along with her. Angela has poured her heart into these pages, and it has left us with something raw and real. When it's over you will be inspired, encouraged, and challenged. I highly recommend this book to anyone regardless of age, gender, faith, or marital status. No matter who you are, this story has something to teach you.

Overwhelmingly amazing

Even though I listened to most of these stories on Angela’s YouTube channel, listen to her piece together all of them and outline the purpose that drives her story touched my heart in a way I can’t describe.
She is not the main character here. The glory it’s clearly given to the Lord. And I can only hope my life can reflect Him 10% as it’s done in this family.
Thanks Angela, I learned a ton! Not only about love, and adoption, but about myself and God. I pray soon enough I can also be included in God’s plans for adoption of a child of His. I’m definitely not the same after this book. I only hope it gets translated to Portuguese soon, so I can share with my family.

A beautiful story

you want to read this book. its an amazing story and angela did such a good job. I was pleased with her narration as well. it felt right for her voice to be the one telling the story. good job angie!

Easy Listen

Very easy to listen to and is somewhat interesting. I found the book overall very self-indulgent and reminded me of Rachel Hollis. It's an okay book but not something I would recommend.

Truly Inspirational and Inspiring

Let me start by saying Angela is one incredible woman! I could not switch this off and listened to this start to finish in one go. The story of her journey from young girl to motherhood filled me with tears (especially that proposal!) She has shone such a beautiful light on adoption and inspired many others to consider adopting too. Beautiful book, beautiful story, beautiful family. Congrats Angela, you are such a talented and incredible person!

Beautiful and brave story

I listened to this book all at once to completion. I loved that Angela read the book to you. It is heart on your sleeve book and beautiful love letter to her children on how they changed her life in so many ways. There was laughter and crying throughout the book. Just an awesome heartfelt memoir.

Inspiring and moving

This book is an amazing read. It is so full of heart and faith. I have watched Angela for years on YouTube, and this book is a wonderful continuation of what she has created. This would a wonderful gift for the ladies in your life.

Inspirational

Angela, You have opened my heart in a way it so desperately needed thank you for sharing your story with the world.

Absolutely Moving

Angela did a fantastic job telling the story of her life and how God has guided her far beyond her own expectations. So beautifully written and wonderfully read by the author.

Amazing

I loved it, ended up listening to it all in one evening. First book I've listened to on audible and with Angie readying it I felt like she was talking to me and telling me her story.

Waiting on the next chapter!

This was so wonderfully encouraging, inspiring and funny! Can’t recommend this book enough, to encourage your walk with family, faith and more! I was crying! I was laughing, out loud may I add! Yes I looked like that crazy person, but it was magnificent!

Inspirational!

Well written, inspiring Makes you take a look at your own life and values. Well worth listening to.

The beautiful story of a beautiful family

Incredibly inspirational true story that helped me climb out of a really dark place. Thank you!

loved it!!!!

Dear Angela, I loved your book, you gave me a sense a courage and boldness for my own journey and I am grateful for that! I love your voice and your speaking tone, it's so pleasant but ferm, which is an ideal combination from my perspective! love your channel as well, but I couldn't believe the things you went through to get here, a book is a book after all...I have so much appreciation for your endeavours and I love you all the way from Romania! 😘

Thank You

This book opened my eyes to so many things. How to love my own children more and appreciate them for who they are.

How someone can be so selfless and great at obeying the Lord. And when one does obey the Lord how blessed their lives can be.

Thank You for taking the time to share your experiences in the book. The book has been a real blessing and I am sure this will not be the only time I listen to it

best book I've read in years

I love it when the book is narrated by the actual author..hearing her holding back the tears reading some chapters made me tear up too

A truly beautiful read!!

Beautifully written and narrated so much love and courage. An inspirational life story which filled me with so many emotions . Amazing journey.

I loved every minute of this book

I hope more followers of this lovely family will read this book, it gives an deeper insight of who they are and their journey in life, I look forward to continue following them on their path in life , as they share their story warm hearted with us

Lovely listen

I am not religious by any means but this book really spoke to me, particularly in the view of unconditional love and taking leaps of faith in life. Although I don’t believe in God, I do believe in the message behind Angela’s words. The stories of their adoptions, births, relationships, failures and successes... wow! Written so beautifully. You won’t regret listening to this one!