I Once Was Lost

My Search for God in America

By: Don Lemon

Narrated by: Don Lemon

In a deeply personal follow-up to his #1 bestseller This is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends about Racism, a modern media iconoclast faces a test of faith—and reveals how such tribulations can make us stronger, as individuals and as a nation.

Renowned journalist Don Lemon always had a complicated relationship with God. He cherished the Southern Black church he was raised in, but struggled with the fundamentalist rejection of his right to exist as a gay man—one who wanted to marry his longtime love in a church wedding with all the traditional trimmings. In his work as a reporter, moreover, he saw his fellow Americans losing faith in a higher power, in institutions, and in each other.

Setting out to understand the place that religion has in our lives today, Don turned a journalistic eye on ancient stories and found connections that sparked memories, conversations, and chance encounters. Then, suddenly, his world unraveled: In a blaze of inglorious headlines, Don was ousted from his high-profile network news job and tasked with redefining his role in the shifting media landscape. But through a year of personal changes and professional whiplash, he kept his “eyes on the prize” and ultimately found what he was seeking: grace, within himself and in this nation we call home.

Rich with humor and Louisiana realness, I Once Was Lost is a prayer for a country that reflects the multifaceted image of God and a clarion call to those who believe in our common humanity enough to fight for it.

©2024 Don Lemon (P)2024 Little, Brown & Company

Critic reviews

“Beginning with a little brother’s sweet letter to his late sister, Don Lemon’s surprising journey takes you from his childhood church in small-town Louisiana to a powerful media perch in the skyscraper canyons of New York City. It’s not easy, but God love him, his quest to be a better man is a story all of us can benefit from in these divisive and sometimes dark days. Amazing grace indeed.”—Kara Swisher, author of Burn Book

“I Once Was Lost proves yet again how much of a trailblazer Don Lemon is—and reveals the deep values that anchor his work and life. As our country stumbles through one of the darkest valleys in its history, we can all learn from the lightness and love that Don shows to himself and others. I'm humbled and honored to call him my friend.”—Sunny Hostin, co-host of The View

“There are some people today who would turn the cross and the flag into symbols of hate—but in I Once Was Lost, Don Lemon boldly reclaims them as beacons of love. This book reminds me why I am proud to be an American.”—Ana Navarro, political strategist

What a beautiful soul

this has helped me tap back in my past and pull out the positive and reminder to keep hope. especially chapter 11. wow. thank you don for letting us in

Thought provoking

Totally Don Lemmon. An honest and thought provoking look at another side of a coin I wouldn’t have had the great opportunity to have seem.
A beautiful story of a childhood filled with a loving family and close community. His experiences with the Church and his beliefs gave me a glimpse into a world I really never knew. Only what I saw in movies or the few talks I had with some Baptist friends about their religious upbringings gave me a bit of a peek into what the Black Baptist Church experience was like.
Hearing Don’s in depth experiences and his thoughts of the Bible stories and his deep devotion was very heartwarming and meaningful to me. Lots of food for thought. The death of his father and sister was heartbreaking and his tribute to them in how they influenced his life was beautiful.
As a huge Don Lemmon fan, I taped every show in case I missed it. There was a big empty when he left. Now with his podcast and following him on instagram, I look forward to his discussions and thoughts. The book is everything you would think about him. Honesty, refreshing and seeing things a different way. I also listened to his first book and love that he narrated both.
Its been great seeing him being interviews this past week on CNN and NewsNation about the book. He’s great to look at too!!!
Great book, loved it.

excellent storytelling

The book was full of inspiration and information. I do wish that Don would have gone off script a little bit since he was reading his own book but since he is a true journalist he was reporting the book in his own spirited tone. I particularly connected with conversations on faith as a nation and how we got to this point. and I also enjoyed hearing the interviews and their condensed forms and the reasoning behind a pivot or close. Thank you Don for sharing so many personal details to make a point. it is very vulnerable and I love it! it makes you human and connects our humanity.

A timely yet provocative read

Don is masterful in his ability to interweave biblical, historical and modern stories to reveal the failure and resilience of so many misleading historical tropes. Perfect narration in his voice!

Elite

This was simply a masterpiece. The topics you touched on were interesting and well researched. The stories regarding church services in the South were spot on as well. Great Book!

The Story

As I currently go through a difficult time in my life I can’t express enough how this book has helped me find a different path to enlightenment it’s really great .

Beautiful

The way this man has put into words the EXACT way I struggle with religion is amazing. It's not often one feels like a book was written exclusively for them but I feel that way about this book. I know it will touch a lot of people. Chapter 11 hit home in a very exact way for me. This is what my soul needed at this moment. Sitting in gratitude today.

Honestly written and eloquently narrated.

Loved the book and was disappointed when I realized that I was almost at the end. Wanted more.

Blew my mind

Don lemon was very thorough in his research. The book was insightful, engaging, and very informative. I love the way he intertwined his perception of God and religion into a contemporary setting job Well done awesome book.

It was great to hear from Don

I really miss seeing Don every day even though I don't watch CNN anymore. I agree with every thing Don said I especially loved the part about the flag, I noticed they were doing the same at the DNC it's nice to see that we're taking our flag back. I'm also glad to hear Don is happy and finally got married. Loved the Book