Wednesday Review: Books that Could Change Your Life, The Budding Feminist List
You would think that a west coast girl born in ’69 would have naturally grown up to be quite the competent feminist. After all, I lived my childhood in the hippie enclave of Santa Cruz, came of age in Berkeley, and spent my college years running an underground press at my stuffy university. Still, I grew up in the church – the evangelical church, to be specific – and those of us who grew up in that particular commune tend to be a bit behind the curve when it comes to feminine enlightenment.
Then, in my late twenties and early thirties, I started raising children – girl children. At the same time I became an ordained minister in a denomination that did not widely welcome my presence. Throw in a few bumps in the road on both of those adventures, add a few fortuitous few books, and viola! A feminist awakening to beat the band!
Does your feminist-self need a shot in the arm? You could adopt a couple of girls, try your hand at being a pastor in an evangelical church….or you could just click on one of the titles below. (I highly recommend the latter option!)
Yours in the Journey,
Rachelle
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Ten years ago, Anita Diamant cracked open the story of Jacob; uncovered his only surviving daughter Dinah; dusted her off and brought her back to life. I could go on, but Gail Hudson says it best in her endorsement:
“Like any sisters who live together and share a husband, my mother and aunties spun a sticky web of loyalties and grudges,” Anita Diamant writes in the voice of Dinah. “They traded secrets like bracelets, and these were handed down to me the only surviving girl. They told me things I was too young to hear. They held my face between their hands and made me swear to remember.” Remembering women’s earthy stories and passionate history is indeed the theme of this magnificent book. In fact, it’s been said that The Red Tent is what the Bible might have been had it been written by God’s daughters, instead of her sons. –Gail Hudson
The idea of my spiritual ancestors preserving the stories women told, giving account to the happenings of their world through a woman’s eyes , has changed my understanding of my God, my vocation and my holy text. I wrote some about it here, and there’s a peek at my reaction here. If something in you is hungry for your great mother’s tales, spend some time in the The Red Tent. Today’s Flavor: exotic and holy.
The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman’s Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine
The Secret Life of Bees
Sue Monk Kidd
Sue Monk Kidd’s novel The Secret Life of Beescracked open my imagination with its story of three sisters who craft their own ceremony to honor a sacred image of the feminine divine. (Here’s just one ritual that came out of that wonderful story.) But it was her autobiographical text, The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, which gave me the companionship I needed to find my own way to the feminine heart of God.
The wife of a Southern Baptists preacher, Kidd risked marriage, career, and her place in her community in order to follow her own inner authority into a broader, more inclusive reality of faith, personhood, and deity. While her journey took her to a place different than my own, I was much comforted and emboldened by her story. She was a wonderful traveling companion, and I found myself underlining something on nearly every page. This has now become one of those books that is forever being loaned out to a seeking friend, and I will always be grateful for Kidd’s brave journey of discovery. Today’s Flavor:A great dancing partner.
What book(s) helped you move along the road to a feminist awakening?
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January 16th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
I just started The Red Tent this week. I’m LOVING it!
January 16th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
I LOVE The Red Tent!!!!! I read it two years ago and, like, in one day. Same with The Secret Life of Bees. Will have to add Dance of the Dissident Daughter to my list.
January 16th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Oh Rachelle, The Red Tent, yes, yes, yes!
It left me longing for ritual, for sacred connections with other women, for a “tribe” of my own.
January 16th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Tom Robbins, Skinny Legs and All. Hilarious, irreverent, a touch revisionist (YHWH the big bad patriarchal god pushing out the all-benevolent divine feminine Astarte), sexy, silly (a purple sock, a can of beans, and a serving spoon make a cross-country journey following an Airstream camper converted to look like a roast turkey; a Jew and a Muslim opening a diner together across the street from the UN). I think you’d love it.
I love you, Rachelle. You’re such an inspiration. You are one of the books that “helped [me] move along the road to a feminist awakening”.
January 16th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Aww! Kisses to you Daniel! And thanks for pointing me in the direction of another great book!
Rachelle
January 16th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Oh! I have been meaning to read “Dance of the Dissident Daughter” for ages, and completely forgot about it for a while there. Thanks for the reminder - I’ve just put it on hold at the library
January 16th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
This list has just perfectly whetted my appetite. I, too, am a budding feminist. It has always been in my spirit, but the book Cunt pushed me over the edge (amazing literature, I write a bit about it here in my blog).
Its funny, because today I emailed my husband a link to an article I read about how “Feminists (and their partners) Have More Fun,” its all about a scientific study done that shows that Feminists women (and men) and their partners have more rewarding romantic relationships. The conclusion of their article is pretty weak (in my opinion), so I came up with my own: Feminist women and their partners have more rewarding romantic relationships because when a woman loves herself so completely it makes her more capable of loving others more completely. Lucky, lucky for the partners of feminists.
January 16th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Hello, Rachelle, our trusted literary guide and life coach.
I subscribe to Powells.com Review-a-Day but I much prefer your highly selective and very thoughtful reviews.
Even though The Red Tent has almost 1400 Amazon reviews, it was brand new to me. It’s on my reading list now, because of your review, although it will be a few months until I get to it. I loved the link back to your beautiful Birdsong post. (A classic, IMHO. Perhaps you might want to reprint it here as a separate post?)
Thank you for guiding us on our artistic, healthy and feminist journeys.
January 17th, 2008 at 1:45 am
Oh the red tent was definitely one. The other: Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
January 17th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Rachelle - I just today mentioned The Red Tent in a comment on Karen’s “Cheerio Road” blog. Maybe it’s time to re-read it… I think a lot of my reading that has been empowering as a woman has been poetry, actually. June Jordan, Adrienne Rich, Muriel Ruykeser, Marge Piercy… I could go on.
I’m interested in learning more about your journey towards ordination. Let me know if you’ve written about it here and I’ll look at those posts. I spent ten years wrestling with whether or not to go to rabbinical school, and finally decided to be my own damn rabbi - http://bullseyebaby.blogspot.com/2007/09/rabbi-hungry.html
All the best,
xo Jena
January 17th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
I LOVE these books. I would add Vicki Noble’s “Shakti Woman” who describes (and invokes!) the feminist spiritual woman and Starhawk’s work (she’s written lots, so there is room to roam here).
January 17th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
While not specifically feminist, I think The Artist’s Way helped me learn to honor myself and my uniqueness more than any other book.
I am always recommending The Dance of the Dissodent Daughter to people; it was a hard book for me to read (how did the author live so many years and NOT NOTICE that people - church people particularly - treat women differently?) but so thought-provoking. I like Mink Kidd’s fiction less, but it’s made a huge difference in so many women’s lives.
I’m fond of The Body Project. It’s a great discussion-starter.
Harriet the Spy!
January 17th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
i just finished the red tent and i adore it!!!!! it’s one of the best books i’ve read in a long time! the secret life of bees is also among my dear, sweet book-friends. i’ve taken note of your third title and am looking forward to picking it up! thank you!
ruby
January 18th, 2008 at 6:44 am
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January 18th, 2008 at 8:04 am
oh, and i thought of another one: Circle of Stones, by Judith Duerk
January 20th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Hi Rachelle,
Thanks for bringing my attention to Kidd’s other book. I had only read and loved “The Secret Life of Bees” until I read this post. I’ll be interested in reading her autogiography and have it at the top of my To Be Read list.
I am engrossed in the book “The Power of Yin: Celebrating Female Consciousness” written by three influential feminist philosophers of the 1970’s, Hazel Henderson, Jean Houston & Barbara Marx Hubbard. It is a record of discussion they had over a period of time in the 70’s, but their conversations are very relevant to today’s world, 30 years later!
I love reading how these accomplished women have shown intellectual, spiritual and cultural leadership, something most of our male leaders are sorely missing.
Thanks again for the info.
Cheers,
Linda
January 25th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Oh my….my absolute favorite is The Root of This Longing by Carol Lee Flinders. She describes how women development spiritually. This book changed my life. I also like Enduring Grace by her also. A Woman’s Journey to God is good and the Feminine Face of God.
Happy Reading