by Jeanne M. Sanner ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 16, 2018
An intriguing and broad-minded manual for spiritual enrichment.
An anecdotal account chronicles a spiritual journey to finding well-being.
The latest book from Sanner (The Spirit of Unconditional Love, 2008) charts a quest in life to realize the concept of unconditional love, which she defines with simple elegance: “Thought that is without condemnation, founded on faith that is without doubt, fueled by emotion that is without fear, fused with kindness that is without boundary.” The author characterizes this search as a voyage and her own self as a vessel heading to the destination of unconditional love. She extends the metaphor to the idea of barnacles encrusting the hull of that ship. She cautions her readers against a wide variety of barnacles, including ones that are attractive: “Some even seem appealing, and some I may even want to hang on to and show off, forgetting how destructive they really are.” These barnacles can take many forms, each illustrated by Sanner in a series of stories and personal anecdotes: unhealthy twistings of thoughts, beliefs, and assumptions, which can be countered by seeking spiritual truths. “All things work for my spiritual well-being,” Sanner writes, “when I choose to discover, digest and savor the nugget of unconditional love that is securely nestled in the nucleus of every event in my life.” This openness to blessing runs throughout the book; readers are consistently reminded that the spiritual odyssey is not linear, vertical, or horizontal—or even external or internal—but rather a process of revelation. The author skillfully fleshes out these observations with tales from her own life, not only concerning her education, but also some of the triumphs and tragedies of her relationships. Her book encourages readers to engage in similar reflection, including sections for writing down their thoughts at the end of most chapters. Some of the guide’s sentiments are vague to the point of being soppy (“Unconditional love is the only thing that can heal us when we think we need healing”). But readers on similar spiritual quests should find Sanner’s account of her own expedition captivating.
An intriguing and broad-minded manual for spiritual enrichment.Pub Date: May 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4653-8009-8
Page Count: 286
Publisher: Okir Publishing Inc.
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Glennon Doyle ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 10, 2020
Doyle offers another lucid, inspiring chronicle of female empowerment and the rewards of self-awareness and renewal.
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More life reflections from the bestselling author on themes of societal captivity and the catharsis of personal freedom.
In her third book, Doyle (Love Warrior, 2016, etc.) begins with a life-changing event. “Four years ago,” she writes, “married to the father of my three children, I fell in love with a woman.” That woman, Abby Wambach, would become her wife. Emblematically arranged into three sections—“Caged,” “Keys,” “Freedom”—the narrative offers, among other elements, vignettes about the soulful author’s girlhood, when she was bulimic and felt like a zoo animal, a “caged girl made for wide-open skies.” She followed the path that seemed right and appropriate based on her Catholic upbringing and adolescent conditioning. After a downward spiral into “drinking, drugging, and purging,” Doyle found sobriety and the authentic self she’d been suppressing. Still, there was trouble: Straining an already troubled marriage was her husband’s infidelity, which eventually led to life-altering choices and the discovery of a love she’d never experienced before. Throughout the book, Doyle remains open and candid, whether she’s admitting to rigging a high school homecoming court election or denouncing the doting perfectionism of “cream cheese parenting,” which is about “giving your children the best of everything.” The author’s fears and concerns are often mirrored by real-world issues: gender roles and bias, white privilege, racism, and religion-fueled homophobia and hypocrisy. Some stories merely skim the surface of larger issues, but Doyle revisits them in later sections and digs deeper, using friends and familial references to personify their impact on her life, both past and present. Shorter pieces, some only a page in length, manage to effectively translate an emotional gut punch, as when Doyle’s therapist called her blooming extramarital lesbian love a “dangerous distraction.” Ultimately, the narrative is an in-depth look at a courageous woman eager to share the wealth of her experiences by embracing vulnerability and reclaiming her inner strength and resiliency.
Doyle offers another lucid, inspiring chronicle of female empowerment and the rewards of self-awareness and renewal.Pub Date: March 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-0125-8
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
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SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
by Matt Haig ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 2016
A vibrant, encouraging depiction of a sinister disorder.
A British novelist turns to autobiography to report the manifold symptoms and management of his debilitating disease, depression.
Clever author Haig (The Humans, 2013, etc.) writes brief, episodic vignettes, not of a tranquil life but of an existence of unbearable, unsustainable melancholy. Throughout his story, presented in bits frequently less than a page long (e.g., “Things you think during your 1,000th panic attack”), the author considers phases he describes in turn as Falling, Landing, Rising, Living, and, finally, simply Being with spells of depression. Haig lists markers of his unseen disease, including adolescent angst, pain, continual dread, inability to speak, hypochondria, and insomnia. He describes his frequent panic attacks and near-constant anhedonia, the inability to experience pleasure. Haig also assesses the efficacy of neuroscience, yoga, St. John’s wort, exercise, pharmaceuticals, silence, talking, walking, running, staying put, and working up the courage to do even the most seemingly mundane of tasks, like visiting the village store. Best for the author were reading, writing, and the frequent dispensing of kindnesses and love. He acknowledges particularly his debt to his then-girlfriend, now-wife. After nearly 15 years, Haig is doing better. He appreciates being alive and savors the miracle of existence. His writing is infectious though sometimes facile—and grammarians may be upset with the writer’s occasional confusion of the nominative and objective cases of personal pronouns. Less tidy and more eclectic than William Styron’s equally brief, iconic Darkness Visible, Haig’s book provides unobjectionable advice that will offer some help and succor to those who experience depression and other related illnesses. For families and friends of the afflicted, Haig’s book, like Styron’s, will provide understanding and support.
A vibrant, encouraging depiction of a sinister disorder.Pub Date: Feb. 23, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-14-312872-4
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Penguin
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2015
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