"There was a time when I was not yet out of the closet when I'd stand for hours scanning the bookstore shelves for a book that dealt honestly with both sexuality and spirituality, that might reconcile the experience of being bisexual with the Christian faith. If I could find this book, I was convinced, I'd be less lonely and more confident of my sanity. It would be my companion during difficult times. Another person's coming out story could be my map so I wouldn't wander in the dark. With complete, unrelenting desire, I ached for this book. There was no such book. The gap on the bookshelves gave me a mandate: Walk into your longing. Write this book." Andrew skillfully and seamlessly weaves the threads of spirituality, sexuality, and the creative process out of the compelling events of her life. Her inspiring memoir stretches from the faith of her childhood, in which she was "taught to look for the word in the Bible" to her revelation as an adult that "the word of God resides in each of us, it dwells among us, full of grace."
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"This work will doubtless inspire others the claim the lush delights of their own secret gardens." -- Debra Kolodny, editor, Blessed Bi-Spirit: Bisexual People of Faith
"Written with honesty, grace and power." -- Parker J. Palmer, author, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation
"Written with honesty, grace and power." -- Parker J. Palmer, author, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation
About the Author
Elizabeth J. Andrew is a writing instructor and spiritual director living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She trained in spiritual direction through the Center for Spiritual Guidance in St. Paul, Minnesota, and currently teaches writing at the Loft Literary Center.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Invitation to Story,
By Martha T. Fischer (Rose, NY USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Swinging on the Garden Gate: A Spiritual Memoir (Paperback)
Swinging on the Garden Gate, by Elizabeth Andrew is an insightful look at the author's internal spiritual journey through what seem, at first, to be extraordinary circumstances. However, they are circumstances that we all encounter--search and discovery, loss and grief, memory and reality. Through sharing her own experience of life and the sacred, Ms. Andrew invites the reader to explore and share his/her own story. Since I read this moving memoir, I have found myself thinking about my own spiritual journey and wanting to share my story with others. While the internal spiritual journey is solitary, sharing the story of our journeys is a life-giving adventure. Thank you, Elizabeth, for your gift.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful book,
By
This review is from: Swinging on the Garden Gate: A Spiritual Memoir (Paperback)
Swinging on the Garden Gate is one of the best books I have ever read. Ms. Andrew tells the story of her journey with such amazing honesty. I found the words jumping out of the page at me. I connected with Ms. Andrew's journey at many intersections. Not only did she tell me her story, she introduced me to parts of my own story. It is her honesty in dealing with difficult issues of spirituality, finding yourself, loving who you are, death, and loss that truly make this book a wonderful work of art!
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
There were walls all around the orchard and trees trained against them, and there were bare fruit-trees growing in the winter-browned grass-but there was no green door to be seen anywhere. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Hudson River, Irish Sea, King Arthur, Mistress of Her Choice, Hudson Valley, Llyn Peninsula, New Mexico New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
There were walls all around the orchard and trees trained against them, and there were bare fruit-trees growing in the winter-browned grass-but there was no green door to be seen anywhere. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Hudson River, Irish Sea, King Arthur, Mistress of Her Choice, Hudson Valley, Llyn Peninsula, New Mexico New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 22
books:
See all 22 books this book cites
2
books
cite this book:
- The Secret Garden (HarperClassics) by Frances Hodgson Burnett in Front Matter, page 121, and page 179
- The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett in Front Matter, and page 121
- The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett in Front Matter, and page 121
- Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett in Front Matter, and page 121
- The Secret Garden by Illus. Shirley Hughes Frances Hodgson Burnett in Front Matter, and page 121
See all 22 books this book cites
- A Generous Presence: Spiritual Leadership and the Art of Coaching by Rochelle Melander in Back Matter
- Writing the Sacred Journey: The Art and Practice of Spiritual Memoir by Elizabeth J Andrew in Back Matter
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