By: Lisa Dunn

Life shifts suddenly, familiar identities fall away, and people are left asking who they are now and what comes next. In Meet Me at the Well, author Coralia Leyderman captures the voice of Jesus speaking directly to women navigating the uncertain terrain after divorce or deep relational loss.

While the book is rooted in Scripture, Leyderman’s entry point is universal: the experience of feeling exposed, misunderstood, or quietly carrying the weight of a past that no longer fits. She draws inspiration from the biblical account of the Samaritan woman in John 4, a figure she believes mirrors many modern women. “She was ‘hidden in plain sight,’ carrying the weight of a complicated past and the shame that came with that weight,” Leyderman explains. “The encounter in John 4 is not just a historical event, but a blueprint for restoration, even today, and even for us.”

Redefining Identity After Divorce

Rather than positioning divorce as an ending, the book reframes it as a threshold—an invitation to pause and examine what has been buried beneath survival. Leyderman does not romanticize pain, but she does challenge the assumption that loss defines identity. “For many women, divorce feels like a permanent label,” she says. “In my own experience as a divorced Christian woman, I felt like the scarlet letter ‘D’ would always be a part of my identity.”

A Shift from Shame to Restoration

That belief shifted during a moment she describes as deeply personal and unexpected. “During a simple daily activity, I stopped to listen to what He had to say to me,” Leyderman recalls. “The lies I had believed for over a decade met the Truth that day. He showed me that He has a different ‘D’ for me: one that stands for ‘Daughter’ instead.” The realization reframed how she understood both her past and herself. “My past hadn’t affected His love or view of me, not even for one moment,” she says.

Addressing the ‘Messy Middle’

This understanding shapes the book’s structure, which Leyderman says was intentionally designed. “You can’t effectively build a new future on top of a wounded past,” she explains. “Success in the future is first dependent on putting the past to rest.” The opening section focuses on what she calls “the messy middle”, the emotional space many hope time alone will heal. “Time doesn’t heal; Jesus does,” she says.

Confronting Shame and Emotional Wounds

Rather than offering quick resolutions, Meet Me at the Well invites readers to engage slowly and honestly with emotions such as anger, grief, unforgiveness, and shame. One of the most challenging themes Leyderman addressed was shame itself. “Because of the nature of the events leading up to my divorce, I didn’t have the luxury of privacy,” she says. “For a long time, that felt like a life sentence.” Writing the book became part of her own healing. “It wasn’t just a creative process,” she notes. “It was my own personal encounter.”

Listening in the Quiet Places

Each chapter is structured as what Leyderman calls a “well-side conversation with Jesus,” a format born from her own search for deeper healing. “When we are desperate to hear Him, Jesus always calls us to the ‘secret place,’” she says, referencing biblical passages that emphasize prayer, solitude, and listening. Scripture plays a central role throughout the book. “Because Jesus is the Word,” Leyderman explains, “He will never speak something to our hearts that is contrary to what He has already written.”

An Invitation to Participate, Not Just Read

Unlike traditional devotionals or memoirs, the book is intentionally interactive, incorporating guided prayers, journaling prompts, and reflective exercises. “God doesn’t talk at us; He invites us into a conversation,” Leyderman says.

From Restored Identity to Purpose

A central theme throughout the book is identity restoration and purpose. Leyderman returns repeatedly to the idea that the past, when healed, becomes a source of authority rather than shame. “When we let Jesus restore our identity, our past is no longer a scarlet letter we try to hide,” she says. “It becomes our authority for speaking when our turn comes.”

An Open Invitation Forward

For readers who feel hesitant to begin, exhausted, guarded, or unsure whether healing is possible, Leyderman offers simple reassurance. “You don’t need to be strong, hopeful, or even certain that God will meet you,” she says. “You only have to show up.”

Meet Me at the Well is available now on Amazon.

Disclaimer: The content in this article is intended for informational purposes only and reflects the personal beliefs and experiences of the author. It does not constitute professional advice, and the spiritual insights shared are based on the author’s interpretation of Scripture. Any decisions made based on the information presented are at the reader’s own discretion.