Triumph of the Heart: Forgiveness in an Unforgiving World

A journalist, a journey, and the transformative power of forgiveness

Veteran journalist Megan Feldman had never considered herself a forgiving person. She’d just gone through a breakup and felt perfectly justified in hating her ex forever. But then she encountered a man who had truly forgiven the teenager who murdered his only son. How could anyone forgive that? Was there something wrong with him? Or was there something wrong with her?

So Megan set out on a global adventure, not just to find out what forgiveness is, but how it works. Examining situations as mundane as road rage, as painful as cheating spouses, and as unthinkable as war crimes, she discovers the remarkable physical and psychological benefits of forgiveness, and reveals some of the best ways we can learn to do it ourselves, as both individuals and communities. Because it turns out that the ability to forgive and put down the burdens of the past really is what determines our quality of life—whether after a nasty breakup or a much more severe loss.

Inspirational, useful, and wise, Triumph of the Heart is a book for readers of Anne Lamott and Brené Brown.