When I started reading this book I didn’t know the backstory of the author and what steps she had gone through to reach where she is now. Of course all this is explained later, but only now do I realize why people might be seeking out this book, and why the author is dispensing her wisdom.
First, the good points – this book shows the re-invention of the author, from heterosexual, religious, traditional wife and mother to three kids to homosexual, religious (?), non-traditional wife and mother to three kids. I guess the difficult point was that she had written several books about her previous lifestyle(s) and was prescribing that behavior – now her lifestyle was completely different and she was coming to terms with it in this book.
The author encourages a lot of self-reflection and independent thought. She emphasizes how little of this happened to her, and blames society (American, I guess) for expecting/forcing women to fit into traditional roles. It took courage for her to see her way out of it, and I think she is trying to lend some of that courage to readers who might need it.
There was a lot of drama in this book – so many passages felt like scripts that people could cut and paste into their own life. I didn’t like the self-helpy vibes that this book gave off – and how she paints with very broad strokes about the people and society that surrounds her.
But she does bring a lot of bravery into her writing and as they say, if the book helps just one person then mission accomplished.
Next I am reading Once Upon a Tome by Oliver Darkshire.
