Pivoting upon her ten-year stay as a missionary in Rwanda, in this memoir McAllister reflects deeply on her experiences of redemption and transformation. A Given Life: The Encouragement of Grace is intensely personal, incorporating the author's insights about cross-cultural Christian service, and how God brought inner healing while strengthening and stretching her faith. With the stated purpose of encouraging readers, the author shares hard-won wisdom gained over eighty years, emphasizing God's role in rescuing her and giving her a new life, "a given life."