There are times in our lives when we feel restless, without purpose or direction. Often these occur at decade-birthday milestones—most of us remember how OLD it felt to turn THIRTY! We find we are reevaluating how we spend our time, wondering what we should be doing to extend our achievements beyond ourselves to include a spiritual dimension. We question how quickly the years are passing.
In her new book, TRAVELING WITH POMEGRANATES: A MOTHER-DAUGHTER STORY (Viking 2009), Sue Monk Kidd, author of best-selling The Secret Lives of Bees and The Mermaid Chair, has collaborated with her daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor, to write a fascinating memoir and travel journal. Their story explores the power of travel to birth spiritual connections and inspire creativity, and it gives us a generational perspective on a series of events the two experienced during travel to France and Greece over a period of years. 
Sue’s journey begins as she approaches her fiftieth birthday and begins to realize she is ending an era as a younger woman and entering a transition period that will move her toward her eldest years. She finds herself seeking spiritual guidance from feminine symbols and icons, hoping for new directions in her work, greater understanding and closeness to her daughter, and a graceful entry into the next stage of her life. She writes about how she came to write The Secret Lives of Bees after years of writing nonfiction.
Ann’s journey is also a period of transition,
one from loss and rejection that culminates in a search for the work she is meant to do, to finding her path amidst many. The icons and symbols that guide Ann are different from her mother’s but in their mutual search they discover each other as adult women and find surprising fresh means of communication and friendship.
Traveling with Pomegranates is an inspiring book, thoughtfully written, and one I very much enjoyed. It provides a framework for seeking transitions and destinations for any woman who wants to enhance the meaningfulness of her years.
For more on the two authors:
http://www.suemonkkidd.com/
http://www.annkiddtaylor.com/
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3 days ago
7 comments:
Sounds like an excellent book. I've just put it on hold at the library.
Thanks, Rosemary! (Good to see you at Jerrie Hurd's Open Studio over the weekend.)
All good wishes,
Anne
Rosemary,
Thanks for this review. Sue Monk Kidd is a great writer. Writing this book with her daughter must have been very fulfilling. I look forward to checking it out.
Melanie
http://www.melaniemulhall.wordpress.com
I loved both the Mermaid's Chair and The Secret Life of Bees so this is an absolute must read for me. Thanks for the review.
The website http://www.mustvisitindia.com/is one of the best travel and tourism related site; check out the travel directory section of the site that contains comprehensive travel resources to guide you in your search for the ultimate travel destination
Sounds like something I'd love! I too find great meaning in traveling to ancient spiritual places.
I'll head to the bookstore tonight!
You can't go wrong with a book that combines travel and memoir. Thanks for letting us know about this.
Rosemary,
I JUST finished Traveling with Pomegranates. Wow! I had been looking forward to it and found it exhilarating. It strikes a balance between self-reflection and observation. I really, really enjoyed it. Immediately upon closing the book, I knew that I had to come back to this spot and leave a note. And to thank you for letting me know about this very touching and easy-to-relate-to book; it spoke to me.
All good wishes,
Anne
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