
Struggle Central
Quarter-Life Confessions of a Messed Up Christian
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $14.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Thomas Mark Zuniga
About this listen
After an Eden’s upbringing in eastern Pennsylvania, 12-year-old Tom Zuniga’s world suddenly gave root to an alien existence of struggle. Initiated by an 800-mile move from the only home he’d ever known, he started warring in unforeseen ways: isolation at a Southern Baptist church and bullying at a Christian high school, all the while fiercely determined to conceal sexual secrets spanning his entire childhood. It wasn’t until after college with a fresh start in a new state and two pivotal summer excursions that a foreign thread of redemption started spinning among the struggle.
Struggle Central tells the quarter-life quest of an introverted Christian’s desperate cross-country search for purpose and belonging, both inside the Church and out. Brimming with tears of heartache and euphoria alike, Zuniga’s candid collection of “messy memoirs” follows life’s arduous journey through endless valleys and perilous climbs, reveling in the breathtaking peaks to be discovered along the way.
The 10-year-anniversary edition features a new afterword from Tom as he comes to greater grips with trauma and shame, his sexual identity within his faith, his "central struggle" in life, and his regrets and joys from writing this book a decade ago, along with all the other consequences in between.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
A Change of Affection
- A Gay Man's Incredible Story of Redemption
- By: Becket Cook, Francis Chan - foreword
- Narrated by: John Behrens, Gabe Wicks - foreword
- Length: 4 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In A Change of Affection, Becket Cook shares his testimony as someone who was transformed by the power of the Gospel. His dramatic conversion to Christianity and subsequent seminary training inform his views on homosexuality - personally, biblically, theologically, and culturally - and his compelling audiobook guides listeners through this complex and controversial issue while revealing how to lovingly engage with those who disagree.
-
-
Thank you. Truly.
- By Laura M Poore on 08-02-21
By: Becket Cook, and others
-
All My Knotted-Up Life
- A Memoir
- By: Beth Moore
- Narrated by: Beth Moore
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
All My Knotted-Up Life is a beautifully crafted portrait of resilience and survival, a poignant reminder of God’s enduring faithfulness, and proof positive that if we ever truly took the time to hear people’s full stories . . . we’d all walk around slack-jawed.
-
-
Finished in one day
- By nedmac mama on 02-22-23
By: Beth Moore
-
Unfollow
- A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church
- By: Megan Phelps-Roper
- Narrated by: Megan Phelps-Roper
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the age of five, Megan Phelps-Roper began protesting homosexuality and other alleged vices alongside fellow members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. Founded by her grandfather and consisting almost entirely of her extended family, the tiny group would gain worldwide notoriety for its pickets at military funerals and celebrations of death and tragedy.
-
-
Insightful, honest and engaging
- By C.B.E. on 11-28-19
-
How Far to the Promised Land
- One Black Family's Story of Hope and Survival in the American South
- By: Esau McCaulley
- Narrated by: Esau McCaulley
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For much of his life, Esau McCaulley was taught to see himself as an exception: someone who, through hard work, faith, and determination, overcame childhood poverty, anti-Black racism, and an absent father to earn a job as a university professor and a life in the middle class.
-
-
An excellent story of Redemption
- By James Carmichael on 09-23-23
By: Esau McCaulley
-
Choose Strong
- The Choice That Changes Everything
- By: Sally McRae
- Narrated by: Sally McRae, Eddie McRae
- Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Honest, relatable, and raw, every listener will connect with Sally’s story and see how they too can overcome even the most difficult situations in life and sport. Choose Strong is a story for everyone from every age and walk of life looking to live their strongest life.
-
-
Gut Wrenchingly Honest
- By Jennifer M. on 04-05-25
By: Sally McRae
-
The Whole Language
- The Power of Extravagant Tenderness
- By: Gregory Boyle
- Narrated by: Gregory Boyle
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a community struggling to overcome systemic poverty and violence, The Whole Language shows how those at Homeboy Industries fight despair and remain generous, hopeful, and tender. When Saul was thirteen years old, he killed his abusive stepfather in self-defense; after spending twenty-three years in juvenile and adult jail, he enters the Homeboy Industries training and healing programs and embraces their mission.
-
-
Best Book on Loving Others that I've Ever Read
- By Kasey on 10-29-21
By: Gregory Boyle
-
A Change of Affection
- A Gay Man's Incredible Story of Redemption
- By: Becket Cook, Francis Chan - foreword
- Narrated by: John Behrens, Gabe Wicks - foreword
- Length: 4 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In A Change of Affection, Becket Cook shares his testimony as someone who was transformed by the power of the Gospel. His dramatic conversion to Christianity and subsequent seminary training inform his views on homosexuality - personally, biblically, theologically, and culturally - and his compelling audiobook guides listeners through this complex and controversial issue while revealing how to lovingly engage with those who disagree.
-
-
Thank you. Truly.
- By Laura M Poore on 08-02-21
By: Becket Cook, and others
-
All My Knotted-Up Life
- A Memoir
- By: Beth Moore
- Narrated by: Beth Moore
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
All My Knotted-Up Life is a beautifully crafted portrait of resilience and survival, a poignant reminder of God’s enduring faithfulness, and proof positive that if we ever truly took the time to hear people’s full stories . . . we’d all walk around slack-jawed.
-
-
Finished in one day
- By nedmac mama on 02-22-23
By: Beth Moore
-
Unfollow
- A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church
- By: Megan Phelps-Roper
- Narrated by: Megan Phelps-Roper
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the age of five, Megan Phelps-Roper began protesting homosexuality and other alleged vices alongside fellow members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. Founded by her grandfather and consisting almost entirely of her extended family, the tiny group would gain worldwide notoriety for its pickets at military funerals and celebrations of death and tragedy.
-
-
Insightful, honest and engaging
- By C.B.E. on 11-28-19
-
How Far to the Promised Land
- One Black Family's Story of Hope and Survival in the American South
- By: Esau McCaulley
- Narrated by: Esau McCaulley
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For much of his life, Esau McCaulley was taught to see himself as an exception: someone who, through hard work, faith, and determination, overcame childhood poverty, anti-Black racism, and an absent father to earn a job as a university professor and a life in the middle class.
-
-
An excellent story of Redemption
- By James Carmichael on 09-23-23
By: Esau McCaulley
-
Choose Strong
- The Choice That Changes Everything
- By: Sally McRae
- Narrated by: Sally McRae, Eddie McRae
- Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Honest, relatable, and raw, every listener will connect with Sally’s story and see how they too can overcome even the most difficult situations in life and sport. Choose Strong is a story for everyone from every age and walk of life looking to live their strongest life.
-
-
Gut Wrenchingly Honest
- By Jennifer M. on 04-05-25
By: Sally McRae
-
The Whole Language
- The Power of Extravagant Tenderness
- By: Gregory Boyle
- Narrated by: Gregory Boyle
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a community struggling to overcome systemic poverty and violence, The Whole Language shows how those at Homeboy Industries fight despair and remain generous, hopeful, and tender. When Saul was thirteen years old, he killed his abusive stepfather in self-defense; after spending twenty-three years in juvenile and adult jail, he enters the Homeboy Industries training and healing programs and embraces their mission.
-
-
Best Book on Loving Others that I've Ever Read
- By Kasey on 10-29-21
By: Gregory Boyle
-
Sealed
- An Unexpected Journey into the Heart of Grace
- By: Katie Langston
- Narrated by: Katie Langston
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Katie Langston is an unlikely convert to Christianity. She grew up in a devout, conservative Mormon family in Utah, served a proselytizing mission to Bulgaria when she was 21, married for “time and all eternity” in the Mormon temple when she was 23. From the outside, she had a typical Mormon life. Inside, she was coming apart at the seams.
-
-
Outstanding story and narration
- By Sam Lyman on 05-22-21
By: Katie Langston
-
Live Big, Love Bigger
- Getting Real with BBQ, Sweet Tea, and a Whole Lotta Jesus
- By: Kathryn Whitaker
- Narrated by: Kathryn Whitaker
- Length: 3 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Popular blogger Kathryn Whitaker is a Dr Pepper super fan, Aggie-loving, type A mom of six with a personality the size of her native Texas. The stressful premature birth of her fifth child threw her orderly world into chaos and, ultimately, led her to rethink her priorities. In Live Big, Love Bigger, Whitaker shares her journey and challenges listeners to understand that they, too, can live a life of authenticity with joy-filled purpose, love, and faith.
-
-
A story worth reading over and over
- By Kelly P on 05-30-20
By: Kathryn Whitaker
-
How to Stay Married
- By: Harrison Scott Key
- Narrated by: Harrison Scott Key, Lauren Key
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One gorgeous autumn day, Harrison discovers that his wife—the sweet, funny, loving mother of their three daughters, a woman “who’s spent just about every Sunday of her life in a church”—is having an affair with a family friend. This revelation propels the hysterical, heartbreaking events in How to Stay Married, casting our narrator onto “the factory floor of hell,” where his wife was now in love with a man who “wears cargo shorts, on purpose.” What will he do? Kick her out?
-
-
A book that holds the details of your marriage
- By Karla on 07-16-23
-
Where the Light Fell
- A Memoir
- By: Philip Yancey
- Narrated by: Philip Yancey
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Where the Light Fell is a gripping family narrative set against a turbulent time in post-World War II America, shaped by the collision of Southern fundamentalism with the mounting pressures of the civil rights movement and '60s-era forces of social change. In piecing together his fragmented personal history and his search for redemption, Yancey gives testament to the enduring power of our hunger for truth and the possibility of faith rooted in grace instead of fear.
-
-
The full sweep
- By Amazon Customer on 10-12-21
By: Philip Yancey
-
My Jesus
- From Heartache to Hope
- By: Anne Wilson, Matthew West
- Narrated by: Anne Wilson, Gabe Wicks
- Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the bluegrass fields of Kentucky, Anne Wilson and her siblings, Jacob and Elizabeth, grew up in the security and love of their family—and Jesus. But when Jacob died in a car accident, Anne was thrust into a painful journey of grief and soul-wrestling that led to God calling her to create songs that glorified Him. My Jesus weaves together Anne's personal story with an encouraging message to anyone longing for God to wipe away their tears. Discover the beauty that can emerge from suffering as you hear Anne's story of growing closer to the God who always makes a way.
-
-
Such an Inspiring Story!
- By Cindy Hay on 05-20-23
By: Anne Wilson, and others
-
A Burning in My Bones
- The Authorized Biography of Eugene H. Peterson, Translator of The Message
- By: Winn Collier
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Encounter the multifaceted life of one of the most influential and creative pastors of the past half century with unforgettable stories of Eugene’s lifelong devotion to his craft and love of language, the influences and experiences that shaped his unquenchable faith, the inspiration for his decision to translate The Message, and his success and struggles as a pastor, husband, and father. Author Winn Collier was given exclusive access to Eugene and his materials for the production of this landmark work.
-
-
Thank you
- By Beth Spafford on 04-02-21
By: Winn Collier
-
Never Settle
- Sports, Family, and the American Soul
- By: Marty Smith
- Narrated by: Marty Smith
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The amazing and blessed life of popular ESPN reporter and correspondent for College GameDay Marty Smith, whose mission in this thoughtful and funny memoir is to return fans to the true soul of sports in this country. Never Settle is the funny but oh, it's true story of how Marty got here, and a revealing look at his journey. Never Settle includes all the best stories and behind-the-scenes moments from Marty's wild life, covering topics including: college football, racing, fathers and sons, and how sports can bring us together.
-
-
Marty Smith did an amazing job with this book
- By Rocky Baker on 08-26-20
By: Marty Smith
-
Samson and the Pirate Monks
- Calling Men to Authentic Brotherhood
- By: Nate Larkin
- Narrated by: Nate Larkin
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With no-holds-barred honesty and poignant storytelling, Nate Larkin introduces a model of community and friendship that is reinvigorating men's ministry across the country, a model he calls The Samson Society. Too many men see the biblical hero Samson as their model for manhood - a rugged individualist of the highest order. Yet, Samson's solitary successes were eventually overcome by moral weaknesses. Larkin, through the story of his own past and the stories of those in The Samson Society, offers a radical, refreshing alternative.
-
-
An amazing story of finding freedom and friendship
- By JS Cooper on 08-28-20
By: Nate Larkin
-
Alongside
- Loving Teenagers with the Gospel
- By: Drew Hill
- Narrated by: Drew Hill
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alongside offers practical application and biblical truths to highlight the complexities of relational youth ministry, address the needs real teenagers encounter in their daily lives, and engage their hearts rather than just their behavior. Hill explores what it looks like to not only share the love of Jesus with our teenage friends but to share our very lives with them, as well.
-
-
Alongside in the grace and mercy of Our Lord Jesus Christ!
- By New Horizons on 01-27-24
By: Drew Hill
-
Unlikely Fighter
- The Story of How a Fatherless Street Kid Overcame Violence, Chaos, and Confusion to Become a Radical Christ Follower
- By: Greg Stier
- Narrated by: Greg Stier
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Greg Stier was raised in a family of bodybuilding, tobacco-chewing, fist-fighting thugs. He never knew his biological father because his mom had met his dad at a party; she got pregnant, and he left town. Though his mom almost aborted him, in a last minute twist, Greg’s life was spared for so much more. Unlikely Fighter is the incredible story of how God showed up in Greg’s life - and how he can show up in yours as well. This is a memoir of violence and mayhem - and how God can transform everything.
-
-
great book
- By Neal McNalley on 01-21-22
By: Greg Stier
-
Stand All the Way Up
- Stories of Staying in It When You Want to Burn It All Down
- By: Sophie Hudson
- Narrated by: Sophie Hudson
- Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you’re anything like Sophie Hudson, your initial reaction to the hard stuff - the pieces and parts of life that keep you up at night, relentlessly reminding you that the “simple and easy” path is somehow a turn you must’ve missed along the way - is to try to figure out how to make it go away. You might wonder if it’s possible to just ignore it, or, better yet, to burn it all down. But what Sophie found during a particularly difficult stretch is that the Lord, through his word and his people, faithfully reveals how to get up, straighten up, and stand all the way up.
-
-
Soul restoring
- By Tidy Touch on 09-23-24
By: Sophie Hudson
-
Bold and Broken
- Becoming the Bridge Between Heaven and Earth
- By: David Benham, Jason Benham
- Narrated by: David Benham, Jason Benham
- Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The world doesn’t need more bullies who stand firmly for the truth but ignore their own brokenness. The world doesn’t need watchers who are broken over sin but won’t act boldly for the truth. The world needs you: a faithful and courageous believer in a loving God whose truth has the power to transform a dying world.
-
-
Great Book!!!
- By E.C. on 07-11-19
By: David Benham, and others