This Is Woman's Work: Calling Forth Your Inner Council of Wise, Brave, Crazy, Rebellious, Loving, Luminous Selves

Author, educator, and activist Christina (The Bones) explores 20 archetypes of female behavior in her warm-hearted third book. Each chapter is devoted to a different archetype, with poetry, attribute lists, writing exercises, and historical, spiritual, and literary examples woven throughout. The book is intended to help women define themselves and engage with archetypal behaviors, such as the "Wombed and Willing Woman" and the "Rebel and Journey Woman." Christina writes that "to fully know yourself is to reckon with all of these forms, all of these incarnations of womanness%E2%80%94to embrace, finally, the community of women that lives in all of us." The boundaries Christina chooses to draw could be seen as simplistic, but her evocative and intimate voice effectively entwines her personal experiences with broader insights, inviting the reader to deconstruct the racist, sexist, and stereotypical paradigms of womanhood they have inherited. Her rich imagery, lyrical tone, and sharp acumen provide a refreshingly honest and nuanced guide for self-exploration. She successfully creates a safe, empowering space for women to find and create themselves. (Oct.)