Tattered and Mended: The Art of Healing the Wounded Soul


God doesn’t just create something beautiful
from broken pieces. He makes art.
Author Cynthia Ruchti pens a new book that is “hemmed in hope” for hurting readers

For anyone who has been battered and bruised by the storms of life, award-winning author Cynthia Ruchti has penned her new book, Tattered and Mended: the Art of Healing the Wounded Soul (Abingdon Press/July 7, 2015/ISBN: 978-1426787690 / $15.99). We all have moments when we feel shattered, wounded and needing to piece together the broken pieces of our hearts and lives.

The idea for the book came to Ruchti one day as she sat at her desk with her fingers resting on the worn keys of her computer keyboard. She typed a three-line premise that she says seemed to come not from her mind, but the deep end of her soul:

People are tattered. Some say, “Then let’s make tattered fashionable.”

But God invites us to mend.

Ruchti says the concept lingered with her as she thought about the people in today’s culture who have given up on ever finding true mending, opting instead to wear their brokenness as a badge of honor. It’s a survival method but a dangerous one. “Some have lost hope that they could ever claw their way back to wholeness,” Ruchti reveals. “The truth is that God takes the tattered and shattered and makes art of those shards, those frayed threads.”

Using the allegory of both ancient and modern creative mending techniques, Ruchti paints a compelling picture of how God not only sews the ripped fabric of our lives but turns our pain into something beautiful and noteworthy “I’ve filled a Pinterest board with examples of the Japanese sashiko and boro mending stitches,” Ruchti explains. “Those delicate, precise, careful stitches from hundreds of years ago were meant to strengthen weak fabric on common items. Now they hang in museums, admired by people like you and me who marvel at their workmanship and beauty. I’m overwhelmed by the comparisons here to how the end result of our soul mending can be an encouragement to someone else, possibly many years later.”

While Ruchti admits no formula exists for those searching for wholeness, Tattered and Mended focuses on understanding and creating a soul environment conducive to mending, and includes practical tips, action points, questions to ask and prayers for the journey to healing.

Ruchti hopes Tattered and Mended reminds readers that it’s one thing to believe God can heal our wounded souls — it’s another thing to understand His intention is to make artwork from our messes and distresses. With a gentle touch and personable wisdom, Ruchti shows how even the most threadbare soul can once again become a thing of true beauty.



About the Author

Cynthia Ruchti tells stories hemmed in hope through her novels, novellas, nonfiction books, articles and devotionals, drawing from 33 years of on-air radio ministry. Ruchti has 15 books in print and has received numerous awards and nominations, including the RT Reviewers’ Choice, ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year nominations, two Selah Awards, Christian Retailing’s BEST and ACFW’s Carol Award, among other honors.

One of Ruchti’s greatest joys is helping other writers grow in their craft. To that end, she serves as co-director of the Green Lake Christian Writers Conference, has served as worship and devotions staff for the Write-to-Publish conference and teaches at other conferences such as the Blue Ridge Christian Writers’ Conference and CLASSeminars Writers’ Conferences as opportunities arise. She also serves as the professional relations liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers.

Ruchti speaks frequently for women’s groups and serves on her church’s worship team and creative arts team. She and her husband live in the heart of Wisconsin, not far from their three children and five grandchildren.


To keep up with Cynthia Ruchti, visit www.cynthiaruchti.com. You can also become a fan on Facebook (Cynthia Ruchti) or follow her on Twitter (@cynthiaruchti) and Pinterest (cynthiaruchti). 

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