Reviews
D. L. Mayfield's voice aches like a psalmist's; it sings out like the prophets of old. This book is not the next hot new thing. It is ancient wisdom, distilled from the daily grind, rendered in the vernacular of American life., Mayfield beautifully chronicles her earnest efforts to befriend her refugee neighbors and introduce them to God-only to find that she herself meets God in new, profound ways. Assimilate or Go Home is among the most refreshing books I have read in years: funny, wise, and convicting., In this beautiful, heartbreaking debut, Mayfield pulls back the curtain on her difficult life in the refugee community. A must-read for anyone who dreamt of changing the world for God …and instead discovered that life is much more charged with glory and brokenness than we ever knew., I hope Christians everywhere can follow Mayfield, like falling through the rabbit hole, into the strange and hidden world of refugees. Her daring prose pulls us into the poetics, the adventure, the ecology and the anguish of being a true neighbor today., This winsome memoir captures the zeal and the vulnerability of Mayfield's experience living and working among a community of Somali Bantu refugees in Portland, OR., Assimilate or Go Home is the least American book about Christianity I've read by an American evangelical. Like the gospels, it foregrounds the troubles of human frailty, of pain, of not-knowing. Here, Mayfield suggests, perhaps we can replace power with an imperfect attempt at love., I cannot get enough of D.L. Mayfield's rich language, vivid storytelling, and nuanced perspective on faith, poverty, and the 'ministry of cake,' which has left me aching for the world she inhabits and the God she loves, and I'm better for it., Mayfield's breakout book traces a journey from zealous youth to collegiate do-gooder to disillusioned doubter to chastened disciple. With her immersive storytelling… she reminds us that often enough, our trivial, messy ministries matter as kingdom work., In this beautifully written, emotionally rich memoir… Mayfield's close observation of the journey of refugees trying to make a new life abroad while desperately missing the homes they were forced to abandon is required reading in an age of increased turmoil surrounding the status of refugees worldwide., I have loved watching D.L. Mayfield find her voice in the wild world of Christendom. On these pages it is clear that we are wounded healers, that the path to God is one of downward mobility, and that all the ground is level at the foot of the cross., "What is the good news? That is the central, vital question in Mayfield's deeply felt essays. In a season of such great fear of "the other," her observations and exhortations are especially timely. Mayfield's heart is huge, her questions important. And at its best, her lovely prose pierced my soul."