The Psalmist

A piercing, inspirational story of love and transformation, The Psalmist follows a recovering alcoholic who, reeling from his mother’s death and his sister’s disappearance, finds unexpected community and grace while raising his sister’s baby.

When Mark returns to his hometown in rural Vermont for his mother’s funeral, the last thing he expects is to find himself raising his sister Beth’s newborn baby. Yet with Beth gone and with no one else to take responsibility, he has no choice but to put his life in Boston on hold. Caught between grief and worry at his sister’s disappearance, anger from knowing hers is an absence that’s driven by her addiction, understanding as a recovering addict—an alcoholic—himself, and stress over his newfound position as a guardian, Mark finds his life turning into a whirlwind of uncertainty. 

Struggling yet knowing he can’t break down, Mark turns to the Psalms. Every day he finds a random psalm to read aloud, one that can help him to make sense of his chaotic life. As a radio producer, it seems only natural to record himself reading these psalms aloud, along with any other snippets of noise he can catch throughout the day, be it the sound of the wind or the yet-to-be-named baby crying. As the days go by, Mark finds a world reconfigured by love—for his niece, for his friends, for the blossoming world around him—and a grace that he never imagined he’d experience.