Keep It Shut - Book Review
Summary of Keep It Shut by Karen Ehman
Keep It Shut by Karen Ehman is about how we use our words. It covers a wide variety of ways that we communicate with others, including: gossip, social media, conflicts, and casual interactions. She shares stories from her own life, and leans heavily on the Bible for wisdom. Our words can land us in a lot of trouble, but that doesn’t mean that we should take up a vow of silence.
The book's central argument is that a "mouth problem" is really a "heart problem." Our words are not random; they originate from our inner thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. Therefore, the key to controlling the tongue is allowing God to transform the heart first. Ehman provides a practical challenge to pause, pray, and think before speaking, ensuring that our verbal and written communication reflects a heart that is aligned with God’s Word.
Keep It Shut is an excellent book for small groups to read together and discuss the sticky parts of communication.
Inside the Book
Book Size
Book Size: 11 chapters, 206 pages
Average Page Count per Chapter: 17 pages (longest is 22 pages, shortest is 11 pages)
Audiobook: yes
Available on Audible, Spotify and other major audiobook retailers.
The audiobook narrator is a little flat. Some people may find it challenging to listen to, but there is also a YouTuber who reads this book that your group might like listening to more.
Discussion Questions:
This book does not have discussion questions at the end of each chapter, or in the back of the book. There is a study guide that goes along with the book that includes videos. The study guide is designed for large Bible studies with multiple tables. If you are reading this book as an intimate small group, I do not recommend following the official study guide.
Next week I will be publishing a 6-week reading plan and discussion guide for Keep It Shut.
Video:
The official study guide includes a video for each week. The video summarizes the chapters of the reading from the homework. If your group struggles with keeping up with reading, the videos are a good resource. If your group does the reading, the video will feel repetitive.
My small group did not watch the videos. We chose to prioritize the discussion questions during our in-group meeting time.
What I Liked Best
I liked that this book talked about all aspects of speech, and not just gossip. She also had a lot of practical suggestions of how to manage your mouth in the moment. She also ties her wisdom back to the Bible with direct quotes and citations that you can look up and read in more depth.
In the back of the book there are some quick-guide resources. These were amazing. Our group found the gossip guide to be particularly helpful. During our discussions we talked a lot about the grey area of gossip. And the gossip guide really helped us to discern what was and wasn’t gossip.
This book also inspired me to be more intentional in my prayer life. I was expecting to read about how my words, or lack of words, affect other people. While that is the focus of the book, there were lots of suggestions around prayer that were eye-opening. It makes sense that if we want to control our words, we should turn our words to God too.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“We may have a piece of information that is indeed true. However relaying that bit of information to someone else may not always be the wisest course of action.” (page 31)
“Sometimes the pressing demands of the day make it hard to hear the Lord’s voice. We stress and obsess about our to-do list and all of our appointments and responsibilities. When I have one of those days, instead of trying to banish all thoughts of what I have to do, I actually take my to-do list into my prayer time.” (page 73)
“I wanted so much to honor God — and my friend — and to not gossip about this situation. It was then that I felt God nudge me, saying, “Really? Then tell her that.” (page 131)
What I Didn’t Like
The first two chapters start out very slow. I found more substance in the later chapters of the book.
There were a few references in the book that attempt to be relatable to the reader that felt dated. They don’t detract from the overall message or are so heavy-handed that they are distracting. However, there were several suggestions that felt out of touch with current media.
Recommendation
Keep It Shut is good for all ages of women’s groups. You never outgrow the need to control your words. If your small group is struggling with connection or gossip, it is an excellent book to add to your small group’s study schedule. The content and discussion questions can help to sync everyone up on expecations.
Even if you feel like you don’t participate in gossip, this is a good read. Ehman covers so many aspects of how we use our words that each small group member is likely to find a nugget of wisdom.
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