Scan barcode
stephaniesteen73's review
3.0
This is a memoir of one woman's search for her spiritual feminine center, or as she calls it, her reconnection with the Divine Feminine. I was with her for much of the journey and share her feelings of anger against the injustice patriarchy, especially within an organized-religion structure (why men were on the Finance Committee and woman were on the Social Committee). And I admire her for digging deep, reclaiming her self, ending her role as the Dutiful Daughter, and stepping out to play her own song on her own lyre.
However, there's a point where I just got annoyed. I am a pretty introspective person, but wow....I can't imagine the level of navel-gazing this author has undergone. Every inconsequential moment is just laden with deep, weighty meanings. And I just can't throw the baby out with the bath water - yes, the church has problems, but to leave the church to follow our own spiritual path, often hearing the Divine within nature, sounds dangerously like new age-ism or relativism and not true Christianity.
I also can appreciate the feminine side of God, but think it would be difficult for me to pray to Herself. The last one-fourth of the book, called "Empowerment" just took me forever to read, probably because I had already dismissed her radical view. But the first three-fourths are pretty interesting to check out.
However, there's a point where I just got annoyed. I am a pretty introspective person, but wow....I can't imagine the level of navel-gazing this author has undergone. Every inconsequential moment is just laden with deep, weighty meanings. And I just can't throw the baby out with the bath water - yes, the church has problems, but to leave the church to follow our own spiritual path, often hearing the Divine within nature, sounds dangerously like new age-ism or relativism and not true Christianity.
I also can appreciate the feminine side of God, but think it would be difficult for me to pray to Herself. The last one-fourth of the book, called "Empowerment" just took me forever to read, probably because I had already dismissed her radical view. But the first three-fourths are pretty interesting to check out.
newlillith's review
5.0
I'm remembering how much I love feminist literature lately, and this book was an excellent addition to my already-sagging "feminist books" shelf. Sue Monk Kidd provides a critique of the patriarchal culture of the Christian church, and delves into how she feels it's let women down. Then she writes about her quest to find the feminine divine in her world, including how the quest impacted her marriage. This is one of the few books I have that I won't be loaning out as I have notes in the margins already and have journalled on passages throughout the book. I found myself making notes like "THIS IS MY WHOLE LIFE!" Not too telling, but it was so exciting to read others had the same experience as me. As always, Kidd's prose is clear but beautifully constructed. She is a shining example of what women authors can aspire to be and this may just be my favorite book by her yet.
tmathews0330's review
5.0
I had to take this book slow, to use it to explore myself and pull out the very small, subtle remnants of a belief system I've been unraveling and dismantling for some time now. Then I considered what these practices would look like in the very real life I am living now. I don't have the same level of freedom that Sue Monk Kidd has in terms of getting to the middle of the woods or immersing myself in nature. But I can still move forth with ways of hearing my deepest self.
tophat8855's review
5.0
This is a book whose rating will be affected by where you are in your life when you read it. For me, it's exactly what is going through my mind. In fact, I would have a thought and think to myself, "I should write down a couple of paragraphs about that" and then a couple days later, find almost those exact same paragraphs in this book. So yes, it was really speaking to me.
Sue Monk Kidd, after living as a Southern Baptist her whole life, discovered that she needed a connection with the Divine Feminine. To be honest, in that regard, being Mormon isn't all that different than being Southern Baptist with how the church is run and how the scriptures are taught. Maybe Mormons have a leg up since Heavenly Mother is actually an agreed upon concept- except you're not "supposed" to talk about her- which is pretty much the same as not having her around anyway. So I guess it pretty much IS the same as being Southern Baptist in regards to believing in an exalted female being.
Anyway, I enjoyed Kidd's book. I found a lot in common with her- from being born as the first child in a family and regrettably being female. Oh wow. That brought up a lot of memories of being ashamed I had a vulva instead of a penis. My interests and activities definitely took a back seat to the "masculine" things my brother was involved in. Even my wedding was pushed back 3 months because of a soccer tournament. So yes, I related to that. I also related to having very vivid dreams. Anyone who reads my FB statuses knows that- though what you don't know is that the very poignant ones don't make it there. I found it interesting that Kidd also had vivid dreams- she used Jungian analysis on them and her use of symbols in her dreams was interesting. I remember one dream of my own from my freshman year in college that I think I need to re-visit.
I also related to her relationship with her husband, and luckily, I've found a similarly supportive one. I think I'm at the "awakening" stage she write about in the first third of the book, so I read the last 2 sections eagerly- I wanted to see how her story turned out to get an idea of how my story could turn out.
So yes, lots of introspection on my part. Also lots of creative ideas have come to me. I want 2011 to be a year of creation for myself.
I think I'll do a full non-journally review on my MA blog in February. Suffice it to say, this book really spoke to me. If I had read it 10 years ago, it probably would not have.
Sue Monk Kidd, after living as a Southern Baptist her whole life, discovered that she needed a connection with the Divine Feminine. To be honest, in that regard, being Mormon isn't all that different than being Southern Baptist with how the church is run and how the scriptures are taught. Maybe Mormons have a leg up since Heavenly Mother is actually an agreed upon concept- except you're not "supposed" to talk about her- which is pretty much the same as not having her around anyway. So I guess it pretty much IS the same as being Southern Baptist in regards to believing in an exalted female being.
Anyway, I enjoyed Kidd's book. I found a lot in common with her- from being born as the first child in a family and regrettably being female. Oh wow. That brought up a lot of memories of being ashamed I had a vulva instead of a penis. My interests and activities definitely took a back seat to the "masculine" things my brother was involved in. Even my wedding was pushed back 3 months because of a soccer tournament. So yes, I related to that. I also related to having very vivid dreams. Anyone who reads my FB statuses knows that- though what you don't know is that the very poignant ones don't make it there. I found it interesting that Kidd also had vivid dreams- she used Jungian analysis on them and her use of symbols in her dreams was interesting. I remember one dream of my own from my freshman year in college that I think I need to re-visit.
I also related to her relationship with her husband, and luckily, I've found a similarly supportive one. I think I'm at the "awakening" stage she write about in the first third of the book, so I read the last 2 sections eagerly- I wanted to see how her story turned out to get an idea of how my story could turn out.
So yes, lots of introspection on my part. Also lots of creative ideas have come to me. I want 2011 to be a year of creation for myself.
I think I'll do a full non-journally review on my MA blog in February. Suffice it to say, this book really spoke to me. If I had read it 10 years ago, it probably would not have.
jenpost78's review
4.0
It was difficult for me to rate this book. Parts of it made me cry and there were sections I read more than once and shared with my husband. Other parts, I could hardly stand to read. I was irritated at times and bored at others.
christinajcraig's review
I got through about half of this book but was not resonating with the long-winded prose. I think this could be a really great book for women in midlife or later with strong ties to Christianity.
jennicajackson's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
chloekg's review
5.0
As a woman crippled by Christian patriarchy, it is wholesome to see someone how someone escapes. Sue Monk Kidd rebuts religious and societal traumas with history and practices for healing. The prose is lovely. The content is where it shines.
mfraise05's review
4.0
This is the first book I read on women's spirituality and, to say the least, I was floored. I didn't know other women felt as betrayed by Christianity as I did and I'm so glad she put it in writing. Although I can't take the seemingly expensive and extensive spiritual trips she takes or agree with every spiritual conclusion she reaches, I am grateful that Kidd decided to share her journey with me. I encourage all women to read it and take from it what's true for them and leave the rest.