Bravehearts: Unlocking the Courage to Love with Abandon [Paperback]

Sharon Hersh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 26, 2000

For Every Woman Who Wants More from Her Relationships

Within every woman is the desire for extraordinary relationships. We crave intimacy and interconnectedness, companionship and camaraderie. Yet most of us eventually begin to wonder if we want too much. As heartbreak and disappointment take their toll, we become convinced that our desire for deep connection is our downfall. Not understanding that a woman's longings are her strength, we bury or ignore this God-given compass and lose our way.

Yet the desire to connect persists. We make cookies for a new family in the neighborhood, send a note of encouragement to someone at church, plan date nights with our spouse, call a friend after a bad day at work to tell her every detail because we know she cares.

And still we long for more.

What is behind this yearning? Is it healthy? Is it normal? Does it have a purpose? Yes, says author and licensed professional counselor Sharon Hersh--and in Bravehearts, she'll teach how your deepest longings can lead you to rich relationships and give you the courage to love with abandon.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

For Every Woman Who Wants More from Her Relationships

Within every woman is the desire for extraordinary relationships. We crave intimacy and interconnectedness, companionship and camaraderie. Yet most of us eventually begin to wonder if we want too much. As heartbreak and disappointment take their toll, we become convinced that our desire for deep connection is our downfall. Not understanding that a woman's longings are her strength, we bury or ignore this God-given compass and lose our way.

Yet the desire to connect persists. We make cookies for a new family in the neighborhood, send a note of encouragement to someone at church, plan date nights with our spouse, call a friend after a bad day at work to tell her every detail because we know she cares.

And still we long for more.

What is behind this yearning? Is it healthy? Is it normal? Does it have a purpose? Yes, says author and licensed professional counselor Sharon Hersh--and in Bravehearts, she'll teach how your deepest longings can lead you to rich relationships and give you the courage to love with abandon.

About the Author

Sharon Hersh is a licensed professional counselor and has also written, Mom, I Feel Fat! Becoming Your Daughter's Ally in Developing a Healthy Body Image. She is a frequent speaker at conferences and retreats. Sharon is also the Director of Women's Recovery & Renewal, a retreat ministry for struggling women and their caregivers. She lives with her family in the Denver, Colorado area.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press (September 26, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578562961
• ISBN-13: 978-1578562961
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #263,368 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sharon A. Hersh M.A., LPC is a licensed professional counselor, speaker, and author. She has written several books, including the popular Bravehearts: Unlocking the Courage to Love with Abandon. She has written four books in the Hand-in-Hand Parenting series including, Mom, I Feel Fat!, Mom, I Hate my Life!, Mom, Everyone Else Does!, and Mom, Sex is NO Big Deal!. Her most recent book is The Last Addiction: Why Self-Help is Not Enough. She is an adjunct professor in graduate counseling courses, including Sex and Sexuality and Addiction at Colorado Christian University, Mars Hill Graduate School, and Reformed Theological Seminary. She is a sought-after speaker at conferences and retreats. Sharon lives in Lone Tree, Colorado.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Faltering Heart Made Brave, December 11, 2000

By 

"debbiegarren" (Honolulu, Hawaii) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bravehearts: Unlocking the Courage to Love with Abandon (Paperback)

When I finished watching the movie "Braveheart", I was deeply moved by the courage of William Wallace to live and to die for his passion of freedom. And I was equally sure of my own cowardice to live with such passion.

When I finished reading Sharon Hersh's book "Brave Hearts" I was deeply moved by seeing and owning the passion for relationships that God has created within me. And although aware of my cowardice to be an extravagant lover, I felt called and equipped to be just that!

I was telling a friend about this book and she asked if it was a self-help book. The question gave me pause...WAS IT a self-help book?? I instinctly felt that what Sharon Hersh wrote about almost seemed too holy to be classified as self-help. The thoughtful questions at the end of each chapter do help you probe and explore your own heart. The endpoint, however, is not self but God...who He created each one of us to be and how we can move in this world as bold extravagant lovers.

Sharon shares her own struggles to love and to be loved, tells familiar stories from scripture in a new way, and always calls us back to the generous love our great God has for each one of us.

This book is NOT for the fainthearted! There is challenge and conviction in every chapter re: how we handle our relationships and the affairs of our heart! This book IS for those with faltering hearts. There is hope and comfort in every chapter that there is One who pursues us with bold extravagant love.

I was relieved when the movie "Braveheart" ended. The intensity of the story was taking its toll on me. I did not want the book "Brave Hearts" to end. I wanted to hear more from Sharon!! As I finished the last chapter, I felt encouraged to listen more closely to God's heart and go and love boldly!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravehearts - a Journey Worth Taking, December 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Bravehearts: Unlocking the Courage to Love with Abandon (Paperback)

As a man, I was reluctant to read this "relationships" book. However, I found it provoking, inspiring, and motivating. I highly recommend Sharon Hersh's book to every man who loves a woman and wants to know both what makes her tick relationally and what it is that is going on in her life in her passion for relationships. This is the best "relationships" book I have read, and I recommend it without reservation to every reader!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravehearts, May 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Bravehearts: Unlocking the Courage to Love with Abandon (Paperback)

I loved this book. I am searching for my purpose in life and after reading this book, I would say I am well on my way to discovering what that is. I was so taken with it that I read it twice right away and immediately ordered 10 copies to give to others and am going to order some more. This book ignited a passion in me that has not been there in a long time. If you are searching to love and to be loved, I would strongly reccomend this to you. It is written for women, but if you know a man who wants to really understand a women's heart, this book would shed a lot of insight.