It’s summertime and there’s nothing like reading a good book on the beach or on the porch so I wanted to share some of the best spiritual memoirs I’ve ever read.
These books will make you laugh, make you cry and make you see life with a fresh new perspective. Each one of these books has changed my life so I can’t wait to share them with you.
1. Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle
Sitting on the bathroom floor holding a positive pregnancy test, Glennon realized for the first time in her life, there was something she wanted more than wanting to be numb. She wanted to be a mother.
She called her sister and went to her first AA meeting that day. She worked one day at a time to get sober and 8 months later gave birth to her first child.
Then ten years into her marriage, her husband told her he had been cheating the whole time. Love Warrior is the story of falling apart and putting herself and her family back together. It is a story of faith, struggle and resilience.
2. Expecting Adam by Martha Beck
When Martha Beck was pregnant with her second child, a test revealed that he had Down’s Syndrome. She was doing her PhD at Harvard and everyone around her thought she should terminate the pregnancy but something told her to keep the child.
One day she felt an urgency to leave her apartment but was tired, it was winter and she was alone with a one year old so she ignored it. 10 minutes later the building caught on fire and she struggled down the stairs through the smoke. These types of strange feelings, visions and experiences continued throughout her pregnancy. As she lost the respect of her mentors and peers at Harvard, she began to find herself.
3. Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott
When Anne Lamott told her boyfriend (and the child’s father) that she was pregnant, he was not interested in keeping the baby. So Anne was left to raise the child on her own with the help of her best friend Pammy and a gaggle of recovering alcoholics and writer friends. Operating Instructions is the brutally honest story of the challenges and delights of the first year of her son’s life.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll immediately feel better about yourself and your own neurosis because Anne is willing to share her crazy thoughts with the reader.
4. Cave in the Snow by Vicki Mackenzie
Diane Perry was not a typical child. She was often sick and ended up in several freak accidents during her childhood. When Diane was 18 she read a book on Buddhism and decided to become a Buddhist. At age 20 she moved to India in this pursuit.
Then, in 1976, now known by her Buddhist name, Tenzin Palmo, she moved into a cave alone in the Himalayas to pursue enlightenment. Cave in the Snow tells the story of facing harsh winters and wild animals while living and meditating in the Himalayan cave for 12 years.
5. Yes, Please by Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler got her first laugh in 4th grade while playing Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz and from there on she was hooked. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life but she knew she liked attention and getting laughs.
This memoir isn’t explicitly spiritual. There’s no plot twist where Amy Poehler becomes a nun but it’s her story of finding her purpose and becoming who she’s meant to be which is the spiritual journey we are all on.
Yes, Please moves from high school plays to motherhood to landing a role on SNL. It’s a bright and funny read that’s perfect for the summer.
Now you’re all set!! I hope you enjoy these books by fabulous courageous and funny women. Please let me know in the comments what you think of them.
And if you want to be the first to know about my forthcoming memoir that tells the story of how I fell apart while working with youth in custody and how in the process of putting myself back together, I found my faith – you can sign up here.
Take good care,
Bryn
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Bryn Bamber
Career Burnout Coach
Burnout to Brilliance
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ― Howard Thurman
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