Book review | Never Stop Holding Hands

Never Stop Holding Hands (Hodder & Stoughton, 2026)

by Shara Grylls

Reviewer: Richard Frost

Subtitled ‘and other tips for the adventure of marriage’ this book by Shara Grylls, married to adventurer, Bear is a collection of just that. 

Originally imagined and published with snippets from those who offered advice at the author’s own wedding, Shara Grylls has, 25 years on, updated it and added new contributions.  

Here is a collection of the witty and wise, the realistic and romantic. Contributors include some well-known people and the author’s friends and family, philosophers and poets together with insights from the Bible.  

This book is not a serious exploration of the theology or other aspects of married life. So why include it in a magazine for preachers?  

As one who has been married for 35 years (and we have never stopped holding hands), my own contribution would have included the words ‘communication and gentleness’. I would also have included the phrase, a promise my wife and I made on our wedding day, that we would ‘never forget what it was like to be single’.  

And there, for the preacher, is the rub. Much of church life and many preachers give out a message that being married is the ‘pinnacle’ of human experience. A message which is often, accidentally or otherwise, ignorant of those who have chosen to remain single and those who did not make that choice. And of those who find themselves widowed, separated or divorced. Preaching about marriage requires sensitivity and care.  

Sarah Gryll’s offering is not a ‘must have’. It’s a book to dip into. A book to find humorous anecdotes and touching observations. A book, like its subject, to handle with care. 

Reviewer

Richard Frost is an author, Anglican licensed lay minister and former mental health professional. He writes a blog and presents a podcast at workrestpray.com