I Once Was Lost: My Search for God in America

by Don Lemon

Overview

In a deeply personal follow-up to his #1 bestseller This is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends about Racism, a modern media iconoclast faces a test of faith—and reveals how such tribulations can make us stronger, as individuals and as a nation.

Renowned journalist Don Lemon always had a complicated relationship with God. He cherished the Southern Black church he was raised in, but struggled with the fundamentalist rejection of his right to exist as a gay man—one who wanted to marry his longtime love in a church wedding with all the traditional trimmings. In his work as a reporter, moreover, he saw his fellow Americans losing faith in a higher power, in institutions, and in each other.
 
Setting out to understand the place that religion has in our lives today, Don turned a journalistic eye on ancient stories and found connections that sparked memories, conversations, and chance encounters. Then, suddenly, his world unraveled: In a blaze of inglorious headlines, Don was ousted from his high-profile network news job and tasked with redefining his role in the shifting media landscape. But through a year of personal changes and professional whiplash, he kept his “eyes on the prize” and ultimately found what he was seeking: grace, within himself and in this nation we call home.

Rich with humor and Louisiana realness, I Once Was Lost is a prayer for a country that reflects the multifaceted image of God and a clarion call to those who believe in our common humanity enough to fight for it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316567695
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date:	09/10/2024
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Don Lemon spent three decades on local and national TV, a trusted voice after the Sandy Hook massacre, in war-torn Eastern Europe, and during the riots of 2020. Anchoring Don Lemon Tonight on CNN, he was known for hard-hitting interviews with public officials and compassionate dialogue with everyday people. The Don Lemon Show is now streaming on all platforms. His book on race, This is the Fire, was a #1 New York Times bestseller.

 

Editorial Reviews

09/09/2024

Lemon’s intriguing if unfocused latest (after This Is the Fire) finds the former CNN anchor linking his relationship to Christianity with his recent professional struggles. He opens with an account of his religious upbringing in Louisiana, which offered both a sense of community and the indignity of hearing homosexuality regularly degraded as he struggled with being in the closet. After launching his journalistic career, Lemon grew curious about what he saw as a “disconnect” between Americans and religion “precipitated by the attrition of truth, the gamification of right and wrong, and the fragile nature of faith itself.” He investigates that disconnect with examples from scripture and national politics, including a fascinating section that draws links between various religions’ birth myths and fights over abortion rights. Eventually, he arrives at his 2023 firing from CNN after he made comments about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley being “past her prime.” Lemon claims his words were taken out of context and discusses how his faith carried him through the resulting tumult, but he goes light on details about the further allegations of misogyny that precipitated his firing. The results aren’t especially convincing, but Lemon’s candor and curiosity on other subjects are admirable. In the end, this doesn’t offer much that Lemon’s viewers don’t already know. Agents: Byrd Leavell and Albert Lee, UTA. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Beginning with a little brother’s sweet letter to his late sister, Don Lemon’s surprising journey takes you from his childhood church in small-town Louisiana to a powerful media perch in the skyscraper canyons of New York City. It’s not easy, but God love him, his quest to be a better man is a story all of us can benefit from in these divisive and sometimes dark days. Amazing grace indeed.”—Kara Swisher, author of Burn Book

“I Once Was Lost proves yet again how much of a trailblazer Don Lemon is—and reveals the deep values that anchor his work and life. As our country stumbles through one of the darkest valleys in its history, we can all learn from the lightness and love that Don shows to himself and others. I'm humbled and honored to call him my friend.”—Sunny Hostin, co-host of The View

“From the funk and gospel of his youth in the Black church to the soaring, digitized sermons of the 21st century, Don Lemon’s new book is alive with the rhythm of modern American religion, in all its beautiful complexity. Read this book and feel its pulse.”—Clive Davis, record producer

“There are some people today who would turn the cross and the flag into symbols of hate—but in I Once Was Lost, Don Lemon boldly reclaims them as beacons of love. This book reminds me why I am proud to be an American.”—Ana Navarro, political strategist

“Don Lemon is at once a courageous truth-teller and a virtuosic storyteller. I Once Was Lost is an encapsulation of those gifts, and a testament to their healing power.”—Lee Daniels, filmmaker

From the Publisher