ATLANTA. — Mark Wallace Maguire announces the release of his newest book, But First, We Must Begin in the Dark: A Father’s Journey Into Special Needs & Faith, an honest exploration of what it means to encounter God while raising a child with special needs.
The book follows Maguire’s experience as he interviews five fathers who have children with special needs and what he discovers on the journey.
Drawing from nearly two decades of personal experience as the father of a son with a rare chromosome deletion, Maguire invites readers into the often-unspoken realities of grief, uncertainty, exhaustion, and unexpected joy.
Rather than offering easy answers, the book examines how faith is refined through suffering and how God often meets people in life’s darkest places.
Part memoir, part spiritual pilgrimage, and part theological reflection, But First, We Must Begin in the Dark offers no easy answers. Instead, it asks what happens when the life we imagined is replaced by one we never expected and whether suffering can reshape our understanding of God, our children, and ourselves.
Maguire is an award-winning journalist, novelist, speaker, and creative director whose work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, and Christian media for more than two decades. He is also the author of the bestselling adventure series The Alexandria Rising Chronicles, and Confessions of a Special Needs Dad: Honesty and Hope for the Journey.
A sought-after speaker on faith, creativity, and disability, Maguire has presented at academic conferences and churches across North America, including the 2026 Henri Nouwen Conference 2026 at St. Michael’s College and C.S. Lewis Foundation Conference at the University of Amherst.
But First, We Must Begin in the Dark is written not only for parents of children with disabilities, but also for grandparents, caregivers, ministry leaders, and anyone wrestling with difficult questions about God’s goodness in the midst of suffering.
The book is independently published and available exclusively on Amazon on August 20. It will be available anywhere books are sold beginning October 1, 2026.
For interviews, speaking engagements, review copies, or additional information, please contact:
Mark Wallace Maguire
Author and Speaker
404.518.2888
markwallacemaguire@gmail.com
markwallacemaguireauthor.co
