By: Sara Wolfe

Periods of profound transition often arrive without warning. A marriage ends, a long-held role dissolves, or a life once understood no longer fits. In those moments, the most urgent question is rarely what happened, but who am I now? In Meet Me at the Well, author Coralia Leyderman explores that fragile in-between space—where loss has occurred, but clarity has not yet arrived.

Written for women navigating the aftermath of divorce or deep relational rupture, the book offers a reflective, faith-centered approach to healing. While grounded in Scripture, its focus extends beyond doctrine into the lived emotional realities of shame, grief, and identity reconstruction. Rather than offering easy answers, the book invites readers to slow down and examine what has been buried beneath survival.

The Threshold Between Who Was and Who Is Becoming

Rather than framing divorce as a conclusion, the book presents it as a threshold—a moment that calls for attention rather than avoidance. This approach challenges the pressure many feel to move on quickly or redefine themselves through resilience alone. Instead, the narrative encourages intentional reflection on what has been lost and what must be healed before something new can emerge.

Drawing inspiration from the biblical account of the Samaritan woman in John 4, the book uses the image of the well as a symbolic meeting place—where hidden pain is acknowledged and identity begins to be restored. The encounter serves as a model for transformation rooted not in correction, but in being seen and known.

Identity Beyond Labels and Loss

A recurring theme throughout the book is the tension between imposed labels and inherent identity. Divorce, in particular, can feel like a defining mark that overshadows every other part of a person’s story. Meet Me at the Well challenges that assumption, inviting readers to question whether their past truly determines who they are.

Rather than defining identity through failure, loss, or public perception, the book reframes identity as something received rather than earned. This shift opens space for readers to consider who they are apart from outcomes—and how restoration begins with reclaiming that truth.

The Work of the ‘Messy Middle’

Much of the book focuses on the unresolved emotional space between heartbreak and renewal—the “messy middle” many hope time alone will heal. Rather than bypassing this stage, Meet Me at the Well treats it as essential terrain for lasting transformation.

Readers are encouraged to engage honestly with emotions such as anger, grief, unforgiveness, and shame. These experiences are not presented as failures of faith, but as necessary entry points for healing. The book emphasizes that ignoring these emotions often prolongs pain rather than resolving it.

Healing Through Reflection and Listening

Each chapter is structured as a reflective pause rather than a directive lesson, emphasizing prayer, solitude, and listening. Scripture serves as a grounding presence throughout the book, shaping both its tone and direction.

Throughout the book, Leyderman writes using what she describes as the voice of Jesus—not as fictional dialogue, but as a reflective, prayer-centered narrative approach intended to help readers experience Scripture as a living, personal conversation rather than distant instruction.

Healing is presented not as performance or certainty, but as attentiveness—learning to listen in quiet and private spaces where transformation often begins.

An Interactive Path Toward Restoration

Unlike traditional memoirs or devotionals, Meet Me at the Well is intentionally interactive. Guided prayers, journaling prompts, and reflective exercises invite readers to participate actively rather than observe passively.

This structure reinforces one of the book’s central ideas: healing is relational. Readers are not positioned as recipients of instruction alone, but as participants in an ongoing conversation that unfolds at their own pace.

From Healing to Purpose

As the book progresses, restored identity becomes the foundation for purpose. When pain is acknowledged and healed, the past no longer functions as a source of shame. Instead, it becomes a place of wisdom and authority—something that can be offered to others when the time is right.

The book suggests that personal restoration does not end with the individual, but often becomes a source of insight and compassion that extends outward.

An Invitation Without Conditions

For readers at a crossroads, Meet Me at the Well offers a gentle entry point. Healing is not presented as a demand, but as an invitation.

Meet Me at the Well is available now on Amazon.