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Last Friday (Good Friday), I began to read this book loaned to me by a friend. I finished it Saturday morning. I wrote the review below on my Goodreads but I thought I'd share it here. The review itself is somewhat transparent. I constantly struggle with how much of my story to share publicly. For the most part, I wait until I'm face to face with a person that needs to hear what I have to say and leave it at that. This book goes where I don't often go and I detail my recommendations for reading it at the end of my review.
"It is difficult for me to write a review for this book because it is shockingly similar to my own childhood - right down to the weird coping mechanisms, the KJV mania, the life-long bathroom issues and the quiet introverted English major named Matt who rescued me. I won't give you a summary of its contents. Plenty of reviews do that for you.
I read this book in 24 hours though I did not ENJOY reading it per se. It was emotional, difficult, and I dislike the lack of true reflection. On some level, she writes disassociatively, giving you facts and circumstances, clearly recollecting memories through the lens of her adult self. In that way, it's not a pure rendering or as brave a book as I believe she could have written. I imagine it was too painful to actually try and write it from the perspective of her child-self. But I can attest to its thematic honesty as an eye witness testifies in a trial.
The book is not written particularly well, but the content overpowers you enough so the lack of coherent structure is not distracting. There is hardly any resolution at the end, nor is there enough wrestling with the meaning of the messages she's left with [earning love] and their counter-messages [unconditional love], etc. The book describes the wounds and the weapons but very little of the medicine.
The copy I was given contained, in the back, an interview which resolves much and saves this book from being disheartening and unsatisfying. The interviewer asks excellent questions about the implications of the story and how the author perceives the world now, deals with the wounds, and continues healing.
I would recommend this book for pastors - who may have people under them with hyper-sensitivity to authoritarian sounding methods or cultural pressure - it will greatly help you understand some members of your flock and their tendency to push back.
I would recommend this book for those who grew up in fundamentalism with a caveat that they set themselves up in a safe place with plenty of time, some tissues, and a plan for comfort from trusted friends. It may drag up old wounds, which may need resolving, or, at the least, may require some time for grieving again."
"It is difficult for me to write a review for this book because it is shockingly similar to my own childhood - right down to the weird coping mechanisms, the KJV mania, the life-long bathroom issues and the quiet introverted English major named Matt who rescued me. I won't give you a summary of its contents. Plenty of reviews do that for you.
I read this book in 24 hours though I did not ENJOY reading it per se. It was emotional, difficult, and I dislike the lack of true reflection. On some level, she writes disassociatively, giving you facts and circumstances, clearly recollecting memories through the lens of her adult self. In that way, it's not a pure rendering or as brave a book as I believe she could have written. I imagine it was too painful to actually try and write it from the perspective of her child-self. But I can attest to its thematic honesty as an eye witness testifies in a trial.
The book is not written particularly well, but the content overpowers you enough so the lack of coherent structure is not distracting. There is hardly any resolution at the end, nor is there enough wrestling with the meaning of the messages she's left with [earning love] and their counter-messages [unconditional love], etc. The book describes the wounds and the weapons but very little of the medicine.
The copy I was given contained, in the back, an interview which resolves much and saves this book from being disheartening and unsatisfying. The interviewer asks excellent questions about the implications of the story and how the author perceives the world now, deals with the wounds, and continues healing.
I would recommend this book for pastors - who may have people under them with hyper-sensitivity to authoritarian sounding methods or cultural pressure - it will greatly help you understand some members of your flock and their tendency to push back.
I would recommend this book for those who grew up in fundamentalism with a caveat that they set themselves up in a safe place with plenty of time, some tissues, and a plan for comfort from trusted friends. It may drag up old wounds, which may need resolving, or, at the least, may require some time for grieving again."
1 comment:
I'm starting it tomorrow!!!
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