In this very personal sharing of life experiences-both her own and that of others-Antoinette Bosco looks honestly at pain and at how it can lead us to growth in faith, love, and profound joy.
Bosco believes that pain can be a 'wake-up call' from God, shaking us out of spiritual complacency and egocentric lives. She writes in her Introductions: 'I have learned that pain is an activator. Because of it I have grown as a person, and as a lover of Christ. This happened because I learned it isn't enough to passively carry a cross. You have to pick it up, fight with it, deal with its weight by lifting it over your head, and, from the muscles you develop by dealing with your cross, finally, peculiarly, you know that you can now love it.'
THE PUMMELED HEART shows that while we can't make sense of pain, we can learn from it. Antoinette Bosco affirms the fact that the painful experiences found in everyone's life can be a catalyst for great personal and spiritual growth.