A Review: "Chasing Slow" by Erin Loechner

I first became acquainted with Erin Loechner through her occasional co-hosting on "The Simple Show" podcast. After hearing her several times, I was intrigued to read her first book "Chasing Slow:  Courage to Journey Off the Beaten Path". Erin shares her story of the early years of her marriage, some heavy trials they went through, motherhood, and her explosion on the blog scene. Woven throughout, she shares how her priorities and perspective shifted as she began to pursue a call to slower, more focused living.

Her story meanders through various stages of her life. Told in poetry-like prose, she shares personally and freely about tough situations and tough questions. While there are no easy answers to things she asks, these questions are a springboard to causing the reader to reflect on their own lives and what changes we can make. This is a beautiful book and I truly enjoyed reading it. However, at times it felt like it meandered a little too much and it became a little hard to follow at times. Despite that, it was still a wonderful book that I would definitely recommend.

(I’ve received this complimentary book through the BookLook program in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.)

A Review: "Love, Henri: Letters on the Spiritual Life" by Henri J.M. Nouwen

Upon his death in 1996, Henri Nouwen left behind a vast collection of personal letters. Archivist Gabrielle Earnshaw spent many years identifying, sorting, and cataloguing these letters and eventually collected thousands of letters from the original recipients. She compiled these letters into this first volume released in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of his death. Spanning 23 years and covering a wide range of topics, these letters are introduced with a brief description to put them into context. The book is divided into three sections, each covering a certain period of time. It is an intensely personal look into the life of Henri Nouwen and an absolute treasure to have a collection such as this.

I do not typically write in my books, but I made an exception for this one. There were so many beautiful thoughts and passages that I want to remember and be able to come back to over and over again. While I don't agree with everything that he shares, his wisdom is profound and his love and concern for each person he writes to is obvious. This is not a book meant to be read through quickly; rather, it's one that is meant to be savored and pondered over slowly. It's an absolutely beautiful book that I will certainly re-read.

(I’ve received this complimentary book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.)