I Can Only Imagine: A Memoir

The true story that inspired the hit song and major motion picture. Bart Millard - the lead singer of chart-topping band MercyMe - shares how the grace of Christ turned around the horrors of his upbringing, eventually transforming an abusive father, and leading Bart on a journey to music after injury curtailed his sporting aspirations.

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I Can Only Imagine follows the life of Bart Millard, lead singer of MercyMe, who loss of his father to cancer and is inspired to write the mega-hit song.


In this portrait of faith, love, and family, Bart Millard puts pen to paper for the first time to share the story of his abusive father and how faith saved his family. Bart recalls the challenges he faced throughout his childhood as he lived under a roof filled with unimaginable horrors. From the debilitating sports injury that destroyed his dreams of becoming a professional athlete, through the oppression he experienced at the hands of his own father, to his eventual journey to music, Bart recounts how he found a way,through Christ, to healing and grace. I Can Only Imagine delivers a message of hope with those who seek reassurance in the face of the insurmountable.


In response to his father's cancer diagnosis during Bart's freshman year of high school and his dad's eventual transformation from an abusive father to a lover of Christ, Bart penned the song that would be heard by more fans of Christian music than any other song in history. I Can Only Imagine eventually brought Bart and MercyMe international recognition, but the song sat quietly on their indie record for eight months before they ever played it live. The song has taken the band places they never thought possible and has allowed Bart to share his story and a message of hope and healing with the world.


-Publisher