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"DIRT IS THE ANTHEM WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!"
"This truly extraordinary story will stay with you long after you turn the final page"
- EMILY LEY
"Mary Marantz is a born storyteller! A triumph in every way!"
- JESSICA HONEGGER
"Captivating and Compelling!"
- MORGAN HARPER NICHOLS
"The pictures she paints are so real, I could not put it down"
- HANNAH BRENCHER
"I dare you to start this book and not read it in one sitting"
- NICOLE ZASOWSKI
"Mary's words are equal parts poetry and pain, sadness and soaring redemption"
-TONYA DALTON
"One word: riveting! If you're looking for your next page turner this is it."
-JESS EKSTROM
"You'll be blessed and loved well by Mary's words"
-JESS CONNOLLY
see WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
order now
AS SEEN IN
press & Praise for Mary
"This truly extraordinary story will stay with you long after you turn the final page"
- EMILY LEY
"Mary Marantz is a born storyteller! A triumph in every way!"
- JESSICA HONEGGER
"Captivating and Compelling!"
- MORGAN HARPER NICHOLS
"The pictures she paints are so real, I could not put it down"
- HANNAH BRENCHER
"I dare you to start this book and not read it in one sitting"
- NICOLE ZASOWSKI
"Mary's words are equal parts poetry and pain, sadness and soaring redemption"
-TONYA DALTON
"One word: riveting! If you're looking for your next page turner this is it."
-JESS EKSTROM
"You'll be blessed and loved well by Mary's words"
-JESS CONNOLLY
see WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“
“THERE WAS THE ME WHO WAS THE GIRL IN THE TRAILER... AND THEN THERE WAS THE ME WHO CAME AFTER.
AND THEY HAD BOTH COME TO STAND BY MY FATHER'S BEDSIDE, KNOWING FULL WELL THEY SHOULD HAVE COME MUCH SOONER.”
- AN EXCERPT FROM DIRT
"it always started
with dirt"
From growing up in a single-wide trailer in the mountains of rural West Virginia to the halls of Yale Law School, Mary Marantz’s story is one of remembering our roots while turning our faces to the sky. From that trailer, where it rained just as hard inside as out and the smell of mildew hung thick in the air, Mary has known what it is to feel broken & disqualified from the muddy scars leaving smudged fingerprints across our lives. Generations of her family lived and logged in those hauntingly treacherous woods, risking life for limb just to barely scrape by. And yet that very struggle became the redemption song God used to write a life she never dreamed of.
“Shortly after that, God started meeting me outside in the yard during the daylight hours. He was color and freedom and fire and dirt. And His was the voice that told me, someday all of this was going to make so much sense. He was going to use it all. The messy, the hard, the broken, the beautiful. One day He was going to put words to it. And then I’d see. My story wouldn’t be wasted,” writes Marantz.
Dirt is a reconciliation with the roots that grew her, a melody born out of the muddiest parts of her life. Mixed with warmth, wit, and the bittersweet, sometimes achingly heartbreaking places we go when we dig in instead of give up, Dirt is also a story of healing. With gut-wrenching honesty and hard-won wisdom, Mary shares her story for anyone who has ever walked into the world and felt like their scars were still on display, showing that you are braver, better, and more empathetic for what you have endured. Because God does his best work in the muddy, messy, and broken if we’ll only learn to dig in.
And… it always started with Dirt.
about the book Dirt
order DIRT now
#thebookdirt
“
I dare YOU TO START THIS BOOK AND NOT READ IT IN ONE SITTING. I know IT WILL LEAVE YOU INSPIRED, CHALLENGED, and changed.”
-Nicole Zasowski
“
MORE >
< BACK
“
ENDORSEMENTS for DIRT
“In Philippians, the apostle Paul talks about the great stuff he’s done, the horrible stuff he’s been through, and how it’s all forgettable in light of God. Those verses come to mind when I hear or read Mary’s words. Her story matters because all of our stories matter—but it’s not her accolades or her acknowledgments of pain that you’ll remember most. Her words reek of God’s grace, glory, and goodness, and of our ability to cling to them. Whether you come to this book with the most successful or the most stinky past, you’ll be blessed and loved well by Mary’s leading. She’s a good friend, and this is a good book.”
Jess Connolly
author of You Are the Girl for the Job and Take It Too Far
Hannah Brencher
Nicole Zasowski
“It’s easy to want to discard your roots and turn away from the mess that made you, but Mary Marantz does just the opposite in this beautiful work. Filled with the kind of writing that drops you directly into the gritty details of the story, Mary sifts through her own ‘dirt’ to reveal pure treasures and glimpses of God to hold onto for the long haul. This book is gorgeously written, and every last word is so intentionally placed. The words are stunning. The pictures she paints are so real, I could not put it down! Get ready to have your heart shaken up and made better through the pages of this book.”
author of Come Matter Here and Fighting Forward (2021)
marriage and family therapist and author of From Lost to Found
“How is it possible to find myself within a story that is so different from my own? Through gorgeous writing and brave truth telling, Mary guides us to lean into our own stories and find transformation and redemption we never thought possible. Dirt is an anthem of love over circumstances and faith over fear. I dare you to start this book and not read it in one sitting. I know it will leave you inspired, challenged, and changed.”
< BACK
“
ENDORSEMENTS for DIRT
“Dirt is a beautifully written memoir that I could barely put down. Mary’s words are equal parts poetry and pain, sadness and soaring redemption. For every one of us who has ever wished for an easier story, Dirt is the fight song we have been waiting for. An invitation to trade shame, striving, perfectionism, and unforgiveness for grace, rest, freedom, and reconciliation. I found myself repeatedly nodding my head, seeing myself in her story, even though our pasts could not be more different. I can’t think of a more important, desperately needed message right now. This book is a wakeup call, a resounding reminder to stop running and to dig deep into the mud that made us.”
Tonya Dalton
bestselling author of The Joy of Missing Out
Jess Ekstrom
“One word: riveting. If you’re looking for your next page-turner that will make you believe anything is possible for yourself, Dirt is what you need to read.”
author of Chasing the Bright Side
order today
from your favorite book retailer
Bring home
“
ENDORSEMENTS for DIRT
“Mary’s story is one that will live deep in the corners of your heart forever, reminding you, through her own experiences and beautiful storytelling, that the good stuff of life is often found in the hardest circumstances. Dirt is the inspiring story of a girl who knew something better was on the other side of fear and challenge. Mary’s words are so poignant and touched my heart in so many ways. This is a story you will keep with you long after you turn the final page. I’m so excited to share this truly extraordinary memoir with everyone I know, and I’m eager for Mary to put pen to paper again.”
Emily Ley
bestselling author of When Less Becomes More: Making Space for Slow, Simple, and Good
Jessica honegger
morgan harper nichols
“Mary Marantz is a born storyteller! She is an exceptional writer who has that unique ability to transform even the hardest of scenes into profound fine art. Her writing just has a way of taking you by the hand and walking you back to truth, to a place called home. If you’re tired of running from your story and ready to lean into the strength it gives you, this book is for you. Dirt is truly a pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps American anthem. All I could think was how our two stories are so different, and yet Mary’s story is also my own. It’s all of our stories. This deeply moving debut book is a triumph in every way!”
founder of Noonday Collection and author of Imperfect Courage
author of All Along You Were Blooming: Thoughts for Boundless Living
“In this captivating, compelling book, Mary Marantz draws you into a moving story with plenty of space to breathe and say, ‘I’ve felt that too.’ Marantz writes from right here on the ground, meeting you where you are. She tells the unique story of her life in a beautifully relatable way, where you will comb through every page and be reminded: through it all, there is grace.”
MORE >
< BACK
“
ENDORSEMENTS for DIRT
“In Philippians, the apostle Paul talks about the great stuff he’s done, the horrible stuff he’s been through, and how it’s all forgettable in light of God. Those verses come to mind when I hear or read Mary’s words. Her story matters because all of our stories matter—but it’s not her accolades or her acknowledgments of pain that you’ll remember most. Her words reek of God’s grace, glory, and goodness, and of our ability to cling to them. Whether you come to this book with the most successful or the most stinky past, you’ll be blessed and loved well by Mary’s leading. She’s a good friend, and this is a good book.”
Jess Connolly
author of You Are the Girl for the Job and Take It Too Far
Hannah Brencher
Nicole Zasowski
“It’s easy to want to discard your roots and turn away from the mess that made you, but Mary Marantz does just the opposite in this beautiful work. Filled with the kind of writing that drops you directly into the gritty details of the story, Mary sifts through her own ‘dirt’ to reveal pure treasures and glimpses of God to hold onto for the long haul. This book is gorgeously written, and every last word is so intentionally placed. The words are stunning. The pictures she paints are so real, I could not put it down! Get ready to have your heart shaken up and made better through the pages of this book.”
author of Come Matter Here and Fighting Forward (2021)
marriage and family therapist and author of From Lost to Found
“How is it possible to find myself within a story that is so different from my own? Through gorgeous writing and brave truth telling, Mary guides us to lean into our own stories and find transformation and redemption we never thought possible. Dirt is an anthem of love over circumstances and faith over fear. I dare you to start this book and not read it in one sitting. I know it will leave you inspired, challenged, and changed.”
< BACK
“
ENDORSEMENTS for DIRT
“Dirt is a beautifully written memoir that I could barely put down. Mary’s words are equal parts poetry and pain, sadness and soaring redemption. For every one of us who has ever wished for an easier story, Dirt is the fight song we have been waiting for. An invitation to trade shame, striving, perfectionism, and unforgiveness for grace, rest, freedom, and reconciliation. I found myself repeatedly nodding my head, seeing myself in her story, even though our pasts could not be more different. I can’t think of a more important, desperately needed message right now. This book is a wakeup call, a resounding reminder to stop running and to dig deep into the mud that made us.”
Tonya Dalton
bestselling author of The Joy of Missing Out
Jess Ekstrom
“One word: riveting. If you’re looking for your next page-turner that will make you believe anything is possible for yourself, Dirt is what you need to read.”
author of Chasing the Bright Side
“
ENDORSEMENTS for DIRT
“Mary’s story is one that will live deep in the corners of your heart forever, reminding you, through her own experiences and beautiful storytelling, that the good stuff of life is often found in the hardest circumstances. Dirt is the inspiring story of a girl who knew something better was on the other side of fear and challenge. Mary’s words are so poignant and touched my heart in so many ways. This is a story you will keep with you long after you turn the final page. I’m so excited to share this truly extraordinary memoir with everyone I know, and I’m eager for Mary to put pen to paper again.”
Emily Ley
bestselling author of When Less Becomes More: Making Space for Slow, Simple, and Good
NEXT >
“
ENDORSEMENTS for DIRT
“Mary Marantz is a born storyteller! She is an exceptional writer who has that unique ability to transform even the hardest of scenes into profound fine art. Her writing just has a way of taking you by the hand and walking you back to truth, to a place called home. If you’re tired of running from your story and ready to lean into the strength it gives you, this book is for you. Dirt is truly a pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps American anthem. All I could think was how our two stories are so different, and yet Mary’s story is also my own. It’s all of our stories. This deeply moving debut book is a triumph in every way!”
Jessica Honegger
founder of Noonday Collection and author of Imperfect Courage
NEXT >
“
ENDORSEMENTS for DIRT
“In this captivating, compelling book, Mary Marantz draws you into a moving story with plenty of space to breathe and say, ‘I’ve felt that too.’ Marantz writes from right here on the ground, meeting you where you are. She tells the unique story of her life in a beautifully relatable way, where you will comb through every page and be reminded: through it all, there is grace.”
Morgan Harper Nichols
author of All Along You Were Blooming: Thoughts for Boundless Living
NEXT >
“
ENDORSEMENTS for DIRT
“In Philippians, the apostle Paul talks about the great stuff he’s done, the horrible stuff he’s been through, and how it’s all forgettable in light of God. Those verses come to mind when I hear or read Mary’s words. Her story matters because all of our stories matter—but it’s not her accolades or her acknowledgments of pain that you’ll remember most. Her words reek of God’s grace, glory, and goodness, and of our ability to cling to them. Whether you come to this book with the most successful or the most stinky past, you’ll be blessed and loved well by Mary’s leading. She’s a good friend, and this is a good book.”
JESS CONNOLLY
author of You Are the Girl for the Job and Take It Too Far
NEXT >
“
ENDORSEMENTS for DIRT
“It’s easy to want to discard your roots and turn away from the mess that made you, but Mary Marantz does just the opposite in this beautiful work. Filled with the kind of writing that drops you directly into the gritty details of the story, Mary sifts through her own ‘dirt’ to reveal pure treasures and glimpses of God to hold onto for the long haul. This book is gorgeously written, and every last word is so intentionally placed. The words are stunning. The pictures she paints are so real, I could not put it down! Get ready to have your heart shaken up and made better through the pages of this book.”
Hannah Brencher
author of Come Matter Here and Fighting Forward (2021)
NEXT >
“
ENDORSEMENTS for DIRT
“How is it possible to find myself within a story that is so different from my own? Through gorgeous writing and brave truth telling, Mary guides us to lean into our own stories and find transformation and redemption we never thought possible. Dirt is an anthem of love over circumstances and faith over fear. I dare you to start this book and not read it in one sitting. I know it will leave you inspired, challenged, and changed.”
Nicole Zasowski
marriage and family therapist and author of From Lost to Found
NEXT >
“
ENDORSEMENTS for DIRT
“Dirt is a beautifully written memoir that I could barely put down. Mary’s words are equal parts poetry and pain, sadness and soaring redemption. For every one of us who has ever wished for an easier story, Dirt is the fight song we have been waiting for. An invitation to trade shame, striving, perfectionism, and unforgiveness for grace, rest, freedom, and reconciliation. I found myself repeatedly nodding my head, seeing myself in her story, even though our pasts could not be more different. I can’t think of a more important, desperately needed message right now. This book is a wakeup call, a resounding reminder to stop running and to dig deep into the mud that made us.”
Tonya Dalton
bestselling author of The Joy of Missing Out
NEXT >
“
ENDORSEMENTS for DIRT
“One word: riveting. If you’re looking for your next page-turner that will make you believe anything is possible for yourself, Dirt is what you need to read.”
Jess Ekstrom
author of Chasing the Bright Side
NEXT >
“
ENDORSEMENTS for DIRT
"Beautiful, compelling, redemptive. These are just a few of the words that come to mind when I think of Dirt. It does what all good books should do: it pulls us in reminding us that grace is always worth the fight and moves us to dig deep in our own beautifully broken stories. Mary doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff, vulnerably sharing her own story of redemption. Her words are both lyrical and razor-sharp, witty and full of depth; they are words I will read again and again! Mary has created a work of art with Dirt and I couldn't put it down! Just read the first few pages and you'll see what I mean."
Kim Butler
founder of The Whiteboard Room
NEXT >
MORE >
< BACK
“In Philippians, the apostle Paul talks about the great stuff he’s done, the horrible stuff he’s been through, and how it’s all forgettable in light of God. Those verses come to mind when I hear or read Mary’s words. Her story matters because all of our stories matter—but it’s not her accolades or her acknowledgments of pain that you’ll remember most. Her words reek of God’s grace, glory, and goodness, and of our ability to cling to them. Whether you come to this book with the most successful or the most stinky past, you’ll be blessed and loved well by Mary’s leading. She’s a good friend, and this is a good book.”
Jess Connolly
author of You Are the Girl for the Job and Take It Too Far
Hannah Brencher
Nicole Zasowski
“It’s easy to want to discard your roots and turn away from the mess that made you, but Mary Marantz does just the opposite in this beautiful work. Filled with the kind of writing that drops you directly into the gritty details of the story, Mary sifts through her own ‘dirt’ to reveal pure treasures and glimpses of God to hold onto for the long haul. This book is gorgeously written, and every last word is so intentionally placed. The words are stunning. The pictures she paints are so real, I could not put it down! Get ready to have your heart shaken up and made better through the pages of this book.”
author of Come Matter Here and Fighting Forward (2021)
marriage and family therapist and author of From Lost to Found
“How is it possible to find myself within a story that is so different from my own? Through gorgeous writing and brave truth telling, Mary guides us to lean into our own stories and find transformation and redemption we never thought possible. Dirt is an anthem of love over circumstances and faith over fear. I dare you to start this book and not read it in one sitting. I know it will leave you inspired, challenged, and changed.”
< BACK
“
ENDORSEMENTS for DIRT
“Dirt is a beautifully written memoir that I could barely put down. Mary’s words are equal parts poetry and pain, sadness and soaring redemption. For every one of us who has ever wished for an easier story, Dirt is the fight song we have been waiting for. An invitation to trade shame, striving, perfectionism, and unforgiveness for grace, rest, freedom, and reconciliation. I found myself repeatedly nodding my head, seeing myself in her story, even though our pasts could not be more different. I can’t think of a more important, desperately needed message right now. This book is a wakeup call, a resounding reminder to stop running and to dig deep into the mud that made us.”
Tonya Dalton
bestselling author of The Joy of Missing Out
Jess Ekstrom
“One word: riveting. If you’re looking for your next page-turner that will make you believe anything is possible for yourself, Dirt is what you need to read.”
author of Chasing the Bright Side
< BACK
“Dirt is a beautifully written memoir that I could barely put down. Mary’s words are equal parts poetry and pain, sadness and soaring redemption. For every one of us who has ever wished for an easier story, Dirt is the fight song we have been waiting for. An invitation to trade shame, striving, perfectionism, and unforgiveness for grace, rest, freedom, and reconciliation. I found myself repeatedly nodding my head, seeing myself in her story, even though our pasts could not be more different. I can’t think of a more important, desperately needed message right now. This book is a wakeup call, a resounding reminder to stop running and to dig deep into the mud that made us.”
Tonya Dalton
bestselling author of The Joy of Missing Out
Jess Ekstrom
“One word: riveting. If you’re looking for your next page-turner that will make you believe anything is possible for yourself, Dirt is what you need to read.”
author of Chasing the Bright Side
Kim Butler
"Beautiful, compelling, redemptive. These are just a few of the words that come to mind when I think of Dirt. It does what all good books should do: it pulls us in reminding us that grace is always worth the fight and moves us to dig deep in our own beautifully broken stories. Mary doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff, vulnerably sharing her own story of redemption. Her words are both lyrical and razor-sharp, witty and full of depth; they are words I will read again and again! Mary has created a work of art with Dirt and I couldn't put it down! Just read the first few pages and you'll see what I mean."
founder of The Whiteboard Room
AS SEEN IN
press & Praise for Mary
THIS IS HOW YOU OWN YOUR STORY
“She’s the most put together person in the room,” that’s the lie we tell ourselves about who we have to become in order to belong.
Achieving doesn’t feel like a choice, achieving is like our oxygen. Perfectionism is the penance we pay for taking up space in any room.
We go out in the world wearing the armor of the well-adjusted, the sword and shield of the over-achieved.
But the world does not need more of us performing and striving for our worth, running from our muddy stories.
The world needs us to lean into the dirt that grew us, this struggle-turned-fertile-soil where our roots run deep, where we stand a little taller.
Where we trade our shame stories for a strength inside us we never knew we had and decide once and for all to own all of it. There is freedom there.
And... it's safe now for us to rest.
GROWING strong ROOTS IN WHAT MAKES THE BROKEN beautiful
“
SOME MEMOIRS ARE different, THEY BECOME INDISTINGUISHABLY INTERTWINED WITH OUR OWN stories. FOREVER CHANGING OUR PERSPECTIVES & POSSIBILITIES. SOME MEMOIRS - the best memoirs - CARRY THE POWER OF DIRT.”
-Devin lee duke
“
order now
"AN INDOMITABLE spirit GROWS wild IN THE MOUNTAINS WHERE I COME FROM"
For me, this life - dug out and rebuilt from the ground up - has turned out to be much less a story about any kind of success than it is a song of redemption, a reconciliation with the roots that grew me, a melody born out of the muddiest parts of my life.
PRESS INQUIRIES & REQUESTS
for media inquiries regarding dirt, please contact Mary's publicists at Baker Publishing:
HOLLY SCHEEVEL - Baker publishing
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Dirt
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