Anne Wilson‘s new book, My Jesus: From Heartache to Hope, is out now. The 20-year-old details her life’s journey, including her childhood and the tragic loss of her brother Jacob, in the memoir, unafraid to share her story, the highs and the lows, with the world.
“This book has been a long time coming,” Wilson tells Everything Nash of My Jesus, which she wrote with her high school French teacher. “I wrote this book actually in two months. It was a very quick process.”
It was after Wilson’s Dove-award-winning song, “My Jesus,” was released that she had the idea to write a book.
“It was like an immediate connection of, ‘Oh wait. This song is actually impacting lives. This song is changing people’s lives. There’s a lot more to the story here that I feel like we really need to share with people.’ So I decided to write this book, and we wrote it in two months. We wrote it last year, and it really talks about my childhood years up until today and what God did in my childhood, but also obviously the story behind the song and all of that. It just kind of shows how God was always preparing me for this, even since I was a really little girl. It’s a really beautiful story.”
Wilson’s entire life changed in 2017, when Jacob was tragically killed in a car accident. Part of Wilson’s purpose in writing My Jesus was to share how her faith was strengthened, in spite of the devastating loss, hoping her story could be an encouragement to others as well.
“The whole point of the book is really just showcasing God’s goodness, and how He does so much through tragedy, and how he never wastes a tear. He never wastes heartache, He never wastes death and loss, but He always uses it for good. It’s just been a blessing to write this book, and I’m really excited about it. And it’s crazy that I have a book out at 20 years old. It blows my mind. I’m really grateful and excited about it.”
In writing My Jesus: From Heartache to Hope, Wilson shared numerous stories about her big brother, as well as how she continues on without him. It was while dealing with his sudden loss that she felt inspired to sing “What a Beautiful Name It Is” at the piano in her home, which led her to sing the song at Jacob’s funeral, an unlikely start to a now incredibly successful career.
“It’s very bittersweet for me,” Wilson acknowledges. “We wouldn’t be doing this interview right now if my brother hadn’t passed away. And so it’s very bittersweet. I would trade it all to have my brother back, but I’m also really grateful for what God’s done in my life, and just the ways He’s blessed me. So I feel like it’s like that opening the wound every time I speak about him. But honestly, the book was really healing for me to write, surprisingly. I was super nervous about it. I had to dig deep into my past, my memories with Jacob. I had to listen to old voice memos and old voicemails he had left me. I had to go through text messages between us.
“There was a lot of healing that had to take place during that time, through writing this book,” she continues. “It’s actually been a blessing and honestly, I talk about Jacob every day of my life, so I’m used to it by now. But there’s also a sweetness to it of just a reminder of what God’s doing through the loss of him. So definitely, it hurts but it’s also healing at the same time.”
Wilson is currently on The Healer Tour with Casting Crowns, and will also perform a few shows with Phil Wickham later this year. Wilson will be part of the 2023 Winter Jam Tour, kicking off on January 13 in Tampa, Florida. Find music and tour dates, and purchase My Jesus: From Heartache to Hope, at AnneWilsonOfficial.com.
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Photo Credit: Courtesy of OH Creative / Cameron Powell