THE GIFT OF FORGIVENESS

A fresh, inspiring book on learning how to forgive--with firsthand stories from those who have learned to let go of resentment and find peace.

"When we learn to embrace forgiveness, it opens us up to healing, hope, and a new world of possibility."
-Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt

Written with grace and understanding and based on more than twenty in-depth interviews and stories as well as personal reflections from Schwarzenegger Pratt herself, The Gift of Forgiveness is about one of the most difficult challenges in life--learning to forgive. Here, Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt shows us what we can learn from those who have struggled with forgiveness, some still struggling, and others who have been able to forgive what might seem truly unforgivable. The book features experiences from those well-known and unknown, including Elizabeth Smart, who learned to forgive her captors; Sue Klebold, whose son, Dylan, was one of the Columbine shooters, learning empathy and how to forgive herself; Chris Williams, who forgave the drunken teenager who killed his wife and child; and of course Schwarzenegger Pratt's own challenges and path to forgiveness in her own life. All provide different journeys to forgiveness and the process--sometimes slow and thorny, sometimes almost instantaneous--by which they learned to forgive and let go.

The Gift of Forgiveness is a perfect blend of personal insights, powerful quotations, and hard-won wisdom for those seeking a way to live with greater acceptance, grace, and peace.

INSPIRATIONAL BOOK ON A UNIVERSAL TOPIC: As we have seen with I've Been Thinking. . . , there is a huge hunger for books about what matters in life. Forgiveness is one of those perennially important topics that touches everyone at some point, and learning to deal with it can change anyone's life for the better.

SHORT CHAPTER FORMAT, COMPLETE WITH QUOTES: Each chapter, organized by topic, will begin with an inspirational quote, a short interview with a subject and Katherine's own takeaways from those she has met, as someone who is relatively young but who has had to face forgiving important people in her own life.

BOOK GREW OUT OF PERSONAL JOURNEY: Schwarzenegger Pratt's interest in the topic grew out of conversations with her friends and family, but led her to interview some of those people who have had to face nearly impossible situations and learn to forgive if they were to get on with their own lives.

SCHWARZENEGGER PRATT IS IN THE NEWS: Daughter of actor and former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Maria Shriver, she was recently married to actor Chris Pratt. We can expect wide media coverage for the book not only because of its subject, but because of its high-profile author.

Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt is a New York Times bestselling author, animal advocate, daughter, sister, wife and step-mom. As a passionate animal advocate, Katherine works as an Ambassador for Best Friends Animal Society and the ASPCA, lending her time, voice and energy to spread awareness about animal rescue. As an author, Katherine has skillfully translated her own personal experiences into all four of her books that speak to her generation. Katherine lives with her family in Los Angeles.