This Is My Body
A Memoir of Religious and Romantic Obsession
- 2019 INDIES Finalist
- Finalist, Autobiography & Memoir (Adult Nonfiction)
Cameron Dezen Hammon’s memoir This Is My Body is about both her career as a musical worship leader and her relationship struggles. It is a moving, valuable look at the social structures of evangelical Christianity, the treatment of women artists, and the challenge of remaining present in a marriage.
Moving from tiny New York City communal collectives to a hip, youth-focused evangelical church in Houston and then to a megachurch with traditional, white, misogynistic, and anti-LGBTQ+ Baptist roots, Hammon describes finding Christianity as a young artist in a way that bursts with feeling. A national tragedy prompted her to grow closer to her band leader—the man who became her husband. Their marriage was disheartening and devoid of affection, though, and the work that once filled her heart started to grind her down.
Hammon describes finding flaws in her church and receiving steamy text messages from a man other than her husband. Stories from her career are fascinating and touching, and they expose infuriating sexism. In one telling scene, she and her husband travel halfway around the world with their new baby on a mission, only for a missionary who’s a man to interrupt Hammon’s fervent speech to tell her to go make some sandwiches. A later event gets more physical.
Though it works forward to Hammon’s changed understanding of her church, the book maintains real and glowing awe for God. Hammon’s is a compelling story, even if it sometimes feels airbrushed, as though its difficult topics have been worn smooth from telling and retelling.
This is My Body is a memoir by a women and an artist who was not supported enough, but whose story is conveyed with emotional honesty.
Reviewed by
Meredith Grahl Counts
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
