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laila4343's review
5.0
A beautiful, inspiring memoir. Shapiro struggles to balance the goodness and richness in her life with a constant anxiety. She delves into troubled family relationships and her desire to connect her Orthodox Jewish heritage to her budding Buddhist yoga and mediation practice. This is a hard book to describe - she's basically trying to figure out the meaning of life! (Aren't we all?) But I came away from this book energized, deeply moved, and comforted. At times I felt like I was reading my own thoughts. I'd love to buy this book multiple times and give it out to people!
toniclark's review
3.0
I read this because I’d just finished Shapiro’s Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage and wanted more, but this wasn’t really it. I should have known from the title. In general, I’m just not interested in faith, prayer, and spiritual seeking. Shapiro is a really good writer and that kept me reading, but it was far less satisfying than Hourglass.
asurges's review
4.0
I first read Dani Shapiro when she came out with "Slow Motion," which is still one of my favorite books. In that one, she writes about her mother and father getting into a catastrophic accident. She writes the way I like: not in long, flowing sentences where she gets caught up in herself and the language but, instead, when she comes to a revelation, she says it simply.
She's also got a good--but dry--sense of humor.
In this memoir, she asks about faith, feeling like it's missing from her life. Even though she grew up in an Orthodox Judaic household, she moved away from it, and that faith doesn't work for her. Years after he son had a life-threatening illness, she starts trying to figure out what *does* work for her.
I liked it. I didn't love it. I didn't devour it like I do books I read. But if you're interested in how modern people who don't have a traditional religion handle finding faith, then I'd really recommend this book.
She's also got a good--but dry--sense of humor.
In this memoir, she asks about faith, feeling like it's missing from her life. Even though she grew up in an Orthodox Judaic household, she moved away from it, and that faith doesn't work for her. Years after he son had a life-threatening illness, she starts trying to figure out what *does* work for her.
I liked it. I didn't love it. I didn't devour it like I do books I read. But if you're interested in how modern people who don't have a traditional religion handle finding faith, then I'd really recommend this book.
hatrireads's review
3.0
This was the second memoir by Dani Shapiro. I also read her nonfiction on writing. I love her voice. This one was about her mid life search for meaning and faith. I found it meaningful and pleasant.
pammoore's review
5.0
Wow. Dani Shapiro's writing is beautiful, vivid, almost poetic. I loved the short chapter/scenes and the way they flowed without necessarily following a chronology. And the ending. The ending was gorgeous and perfect. I've already read Hourglass (loved) and I am excited to read everything else Shapiro has written.
janae126's review
4.0
Yo. Her struggles spoke to me, and I’m fairly certain that has skewed my overall rating and perception of the book as a whole.
Everyone is looking for a way to quiet the mind, find meaning, blah blah etc. I liked how she wrote her truth as it pertained to her “present day” as well as different times throughout her past. She was ultimately searching for what Judiasm meant to her. Not, a quest to become more in touch with her religion, but to use it to help guide her to find more peace. Which, we could all use some more of, no? I also appreciated that she undertook this quest while not neglecting her family, rather being mindful of them, and trying to include them where she saw fit.
Maybe a 4 - 4.5? Skewed slightly for its relatability, which isn’t a bad thing.
Sidenotes-
I really enjoyed the format of varied length “sections.”
I may or may not be more interested in Jewish culture now, not because I am Jewish, rather because I am not.
“Yoga donuts” better have not forever ruined yoga for me….
Everyone is looking for a way to quiet the mind, find meaning, blah blah etc. I liked how she wrote her truth as it pertained to her “present day” as well as different times throughout her past. She was ultimately searching for what Judiasm meant to her. Not, a quest to become more in touch with her religion, but to use it to help guide her to find more peace. Which, we could all use some more of, no? I also appreciated that she undertook this quest while not neglecting her family, rather being mindful of them, and trying to include them where she saw fit.
Maybe a 4 - 4.5? Skewed slightly for its relatability, which isn’t a bad thing.
Sidenotes-
I really enjoyed the format of varied length “sections.”
I may or may not be more interested in Jewish culture now, not because I am Jewish, rather because I am not.
“Yoga donuts” better have not forever ruined yoga for me….
suvancat's review
4.0
Perhaps a biased rating as I love anything written by Dani Shapiro. I find her very honest and smart.
marthagal's review
4.0
This book was great. I thought it was going to be another project-for-a-year-memoir (like [b:Eat, Pray, Love|19501|Eat, Pray, Love|Elizabeth Gilbert|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1269870432s/19501.jpg|3352398] or The Happiness Project), this time about finding spirituality. But it's much better than that - instead of being a formulaic project, it's a book-length meditation on the meaning of life, on joy, on mortality, and on God and faith. It's beautifully written and deeply absorbing.
Early in the book, it's clear that the author is a pretty anxious person:
"Nothing - absolutely nothing I could put my finger on - was the matter. Except that I was often on the verge of tears. Except that it seems that there had to be more than this hodgepodge of the everyday. Inside each joy was a hard kernel of sadness, as if I was always preparing myself for impending loss."
Um, hello, that's me. I struggle with many of the questions and feelings that Shapiro does, and I found it really comforting to read this book. Both because I identified with her, and because though this book doesn't offer any answers, I feel like I understand just a little bit more how I want to live and how I want my life to be.
Early in the book, it's clear that the author is a pretty anxious person:
"Nothing - absolutely nothing I could put my finger on - was the matter. Except that I was often on the verge of tears. Except that it seems that there had to be more than this hodgepodge of the everyday. Inside each joy was a hard kernel of sadness, as if I was always preparing myself for impending loss."
Um, hello, that's me. I struggle with many of the questions and feelings that Shapiro does, and I found it really comforting to read this book. Both because I identified with her, and because though this book doesn't offer any answers, I feel like I understand just a little bit more how I want to live and how I want my life to be.