InterVarsity Press (IVP) is pleased to announce that four IVP titles have been recognized as finalists in Foreword Reviews’ nineteenth annual Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards. Finalists were narrowed down by Foreword’s editors from over 2,200 individual titles spread across sixty-five categories. IVP books were chosen as finalists in the following categories:

Religion (Adult Nonfiction)

Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering by internationally renowned artist Makoto Fujimura was inspired by Shusaku Endo’s novel Silence, first published in 1966 and one of the greatest works of twentieth-century Japanese literature. Silence took Fujimura on a pilgrimage of grappling with the nature of art, the significance of pain, and his own cultural heritage. His artistic faith journey overlaps with Endo’s as he uncovers deep layers of meaning in Japanese history and literature, expressed in art both past and present. He finds connections to how faith is lived in contemporary contexts of trauma and glimpses of how the gospel is conveyed in Christ-hidden cultures. Silence and Beauty was also awarded the 2016 Aldersgate Prize by the John Wesley Honors College at Indiana Wesleyan University and named the 2017 Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year in the category of counseling and relationships.

Self-Help

In The Gift of Hard Things: Finding Grace in Unexpected Places Mark Yaconelli uses extraordinary stories from his own life and the lives of others to offer a narrative journey through ways in which disappointments have turned into gifts. He writes, “We are small, sensitive creatures with short lifespans, in a world that is often chaotic, capricious, mysterious, terrible, and wonderful all at the same time. Failure, disappointment, loss, and other difficult experiences call us to accept our humanity, feel grateful for what has been given, receive the care of others, and seek guidance from the Holy Spirit.” Anne Lamott, author of Traveling Mercies, said, “It is a book absolutely after my own heart.” 

Religious (Adult Fiction)

Barefoot: A Story of Surrendering to God by Sharon Garlough Brown is the third book in the Sensible Shoes Series, following Sensible Shoes and Two Steps Forward, a 2015 INDIEFAB finalist. Emily P. Freeman, author of Simply Tuesday, said, “During a difficult year of loss in my own life, I found great comfort in this fictional tale of four friends with true-to-life faith. The way they relate with Christ and one another in grief, disappointment, celebration, and joy served as a kind companion to me personally, as well as a creative reminder of some of my favorite spiritual practices.”

Body, Mind & Spirit

In The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile offer a primer on the Enneagram, an ancient personality typing system. Cron and Stabile forge a unique approach—a practical, comprehensive way of accessing Enneagram wisdom and exploring its connections with Christian spirituality for a deeper knowledge of ourselves, compassion for others, and love for God. Witty and filled with stories, this book allows you to peek inside each of the nine Enneagram types.

Each year, Foreword Reviews shines a light on a select group of indie publishers, university presses, and self-published authors whose work stands out from the crowd. In the next three months a panel of volunteer librarians and booksellers will determine the winners in each category based on their experience with readers and patrons.

Foreword Reviews will celebrate the winners during a program at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago in June. They will also name the Editor’s Choice winners and Foreword’s 2016 INDIE Publisher of the Year during the presentation.

 For a complete list of IVP award winners visit ivpress.com.