Light Summer Reading

The selections in this edition of our Recommended Reading for Lightworkers are somewhat of a departure from our usual primarily non-fiction presentations. Often when we think of spiritual evolution and personal growth and change, the tendency is to head for the Self-Help, New Age, or Religion sections of the bookstore.

We’ve discovered a number of fiction and autobiographical journals which support the reality that Spirit has a sense of humor, and that “deadly serious” doesn’t always lift us to new heights.

With this in mind, we offer you a wide range of Light reading to help you grow as you kick back and relax – either at the beach, on the back porch, or in the comfort of air-conditioned space at home. We highly recommend the fresh, uproariously humorous handling of societies “taboo” subjects covered by Where the River Turns to Sky, and Secret Life of Bees, along with the provocative journeys of self discovery in Dance of the Dissident Daughter, Tales of a Female Nomad and Circle of Quiet. A few of the titles have Discussion Guidelines which can be helpful if you happen to be lucky enough to have a few close friends to share the books with.

So, fix yourself a tall cool drink, turn off the cell-phone and enjoy!

Bernice B. Cousins
Editor

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES

Sue Monk Kidd

Set in South Caroline in the mid 60s, this is a remarkable first novel about a young, 14 year-old girl, Lily Owens, whose blurred memory of her mother centers around the afternoon her mother was killed; and Rosaleen, a fierce-hearted, independent black woman who has become her stand-in mom. Their adventures begin when Lily accompanies Rosaleen to town to register to vote. The circumstances of this event land Rosaleen in the hospital, in custody of the town’s racist sheriff. Lily decides to take control of the situation and plots their escape.

So begins the tale of their journey to Tiburon, SC where they are befriended and taken in by an odd trio of black, beekeeping sisters. Lily and Rosaleen learn about the world of bees, honey and the Black Madonna.

This is a remarkable novel about divine feminine power, a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.

Penguin Books
ISBN: 0142001740 paper

THE DANCE OF THE DISSIDENT DAUGHTER

Sue Monk Kidd

A mid-career realization that she had lived without “ real inner authority” and with “a fear of dissension, confrontation, backlash, a fear of not pleasing, not living up to sanctioned models of femininity” produced in Sue Monk Kidd a new mindset that made her journey of self discovery possible. Kidd shares her pilgrimage to capture her feminine soul and to live authentically from that soul. The reader follows Kidd’s path from the comfort of her Southern Baptist roots, away from patriarchal, fundamentalist Christian religious systems to alternative religious traditions that speak to her newly discovered Soul Self. Kidd’s journey is a mirror for many who take up the path of discovering the authentic feminine Soul Self.

HarperSanFrancisco
ISBN: 006064589X paper

THE MONK DOWNSTAIRS

Tim Farrington

Meet Rebecca Martin, a single mother with an apartment to rent, who describes herself –“I’m 38 years old, and I’ve got a daughter learning to read, and a job I don’t quite like. I’ve got a mortgage. I’m making my middle-aged peace with network television and tomorrow is just another day I’ve got to get through. I don’t need the violin music”. Enter her new tenant – Michael Christopher – a warm, funny, attractive man who is entering the mundane world after 28 years in a monastery and in the midst of his own “dark night of the soul”. Rebecca’s daughter, Mary Martha immediately hits it off with Michael Christopher. What ensues is a delightful romantic comedy and a tale of deep spiritual renewal. It is a love story – a tender exploration in which individual journeys interweave, and of the ways we are changed by the opening of the heart.

HarperSanFrancisco
ISBN: 0062517864 paper

ALL OVER CREATION

Ruth Ozeki

Set in Liberty Falls, Idaho, heart of the potato-farming industry, this intriguing novel brings the reader right into the conflicts of modern day farming and agribusiness. Yumi Fuller, the main character returns to Liberty Falls after an absence of 25 years. The prodigal daughter returns to confront her dying father, a mother who has all of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, and her best friend, only to find herself at the center of a new drama. All Over Creation is a celebratory tale of the beauty of seeds and growing things and the capacity for renewal that resides within us all.

Penguin Books
ISBN: 0142003891 paper