Miracles and Other Reasonable Things - Sarah Bessey

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⭐ 9.5/10

(Originally written by Magdalene)

This is a memoir by Sarah Bessey, someone whom I've been following for quite a while. It focuses on only the past 5 years or so of her life, centering around a car crash she was in that has resulted in her having to deal with chronic pain, probably for the rest of her life. It also contains stories about her dad's surgery and a visit to Rome to see the Pope. About half of the chapters are memoir-ish, while the other half are more standard essays on spirituality.

I found her writing really beautiful, and as someone who also has a "before and after," AND deals with chronic (albeit minor) pain, it was powerful to read about someone suffering and then overcoming it. She talks a lot about embodiment, and what it means to live in the bodies we have, which are more than vehicles for our souls. I also loved her chapter about connecting with the feminine, Mother side of God. It's a slim book, but I got a lot out of it. My only complaint would be that it didn't feel very cohesive, but that's minor.

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