About the Author
Anne Odendhal is an author, counselor, and entrepreneur whose life and work center on restoring moral clarity and cultural courage in a confused age. With a background in English and Education (B.A., UMBC) and a master’s degree in Religion and Counseling from Covenant Theological Seminary, she has spent decades teaching, counseling, and writing about the spiritual and social forces shaping modern America.
A journalist for decades and former technical writer, Anne has combined her gift for clear communication with a passion for truth and purpose. An award-winning artist and lifelong health and wellness advocate, she brings creativity, vitality, and balance to every aspect of her work.
An entrepreneur across multiple industries, Anne and her husband are managing partners in an out-of-the-box financial and retirement planning firm, helping individuals and families gain confidence and freedom through unconventional financial literacy, planning, and stewardship.
A lifelong student of ideas, Anne studied at L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland under Dr. Francis Schaeffer, whom she considers her spiritual father. His influence deepened her conviction that truth, freedom, and responsibility must stand together—or fall together.
About the Book
A family’s story. A nation’s turning point.
One Girl vs. A Nation Asleep traces the rise, fracture, and possible reawakening of modern America through the lived experiences of one Maryland family whose history mirrors the dilemmas of a nation.
Moving across decades of immigration, war, urban life, shifting moral foundations, and cultural upheaval, this narrative nonfiction work blends intimate family history with historical insight to illuminate the forces that shaped twentieth-century America. The personal and the national unfold together, revealing how private lives become witnesses to public transformation.
Written with the depth of cultural analysis and the vivid detail of narrative history, this is not an autobiography. It is a braided historical account — a story-driven exploration of American character, family inheritance, and the search for truth in a disoriented age. Through scenes of hardship, perseverance, civic life, and quiet courage, the book examines how ordinary people are formed by — and respond to — extraordinary national change.
One Girl vs. A Nation Asleep invites readers to see the past more clearly, to understand the present more honestly, and to consider what must be restored if a nation is to keep its soul.
Where to buy the book
Additional Resources
Reflection and Discussion Questions