Reviewed by Kevin Whitworth for Readers' Favorite

With In Every Breath a Prayer, David Hanig invites readers into the raw landscape of his soul with unflinching honesty. Following a profound psilocybin experience that cracked open long-sealed emotional wounds, Hanig embarks on a healing odyssey that he documents through alternating prose and verse—each form revealing different dimensions of his struggle. The memoir traces Hanig’s confrontation with anxiety, depression, and childhood trauma that had silently shaped his life for decades. What distinguishes this narrative is its refusal to offer easy solutions or sanitized epiphanies. Instead, Hanig documents the messy, non-linear nature of healing—complete with setbacks, resistance, and moments of shattering despair. Through therapy sessions and spiritual exploration, Hanig gradually reconstructs his relationship with himself.

David Hanig achieves a delicate balance. He is precise in describing psychological processes while remaining resonant. When Hanig describes his darkest moments, his prose is stark and unadorned. When capturing glimpses of breakthrough, his language elevates into lyrical reflection. The poetry’s scattered emotional waypoints—small, concentrated moments of feeling punctuating the narrative journey—function as emotional time capsules that preserve the intensity of pivotal moments in Hanig’s recovery. This work is particularly valuable because Hanig transforms personal suffering into universal insight without resorting to platitudes. His voice maintains an intimate quality throughout as though he’s speaking directly to readers who might recognize their struggles in his words. This creates a sense of accompaniment rather than instruction; Hanig walks beside the reader rather than leading from above. The pacing mirrors the healing process, allowing space for complex revelations to breathe while providing moments of reprieve. By the conclusion, Hanig doesn’t claim complete resolution but rather a transformed relationship with his wounds; one built on self-compassion rather than escape. In Every Breath a Prayer ultimately stands as personal testimony and collective medicine, a reminder that our most painful experiences can become doorways to more profound presence and connection when faced with courage and compassion.