Book Review: Becoming: The Woman God Made You to Be

I was really excited to become a part of The Catholic Company's book reviewer program. First of all, free stuff rocks. Secondly, I need an excuse to read (and having a soft deadline is a good excuse). Third, I love Catholic products! My eyes were very big as I drooled over the list of products to review. I ended up choosing this book for two reasons: 1) Steven told me that  choosing the book about death probably wasn't the best choice for my first review and 2) I felt, from the description, like this book encompasses why I started this blog in the first place. Tammy Evevard's writings did not disappoint!

I really enjoyed the book's layout because it is easy to either read all in one sitting if you have a few hours free, or to just read a chapter or section at a time, put down, and pick it back up again later. For someone who is pretty busy, it means that the book is readable (versus something that bogs you down and ends up getting shelved for months!). There are lots of anecdotal stories and personal reflections mixed in with bible verses, excerpts from the Catechism, research, and quotes from famous or noteworthy Catholics. This format keeps it very interesting and, I think, makes it appealing to a wide audience of women. I found it really refreshing to read something specific to Catholic Christian women! The author, Tammy Evevard, is not only very real, but also has a good sense of humor, which is important to me in this type of book.

I was trying to think of one 'favorite point' of the book, but I have entirely too many to settle on one! The part that really spoke to me is how she addresses feminism from the point of a Catholic woman. She points out that we, as women, play a vitally essential role and we can't let ourselves get caught up in imitating men or we lose our feminism. Society sometimes suggests that we should be like men, do things like men- but where is the femininity in being masculine? I read the section a few times over and it was eye opening to me in the point I'm at in life- deciding whether to give up my career that I got a master's degree for in order to stay home with future children. Society says that I'm 'oppressed' and that a feminist would get educated and be in the working world... why would someone with my education be 'barefoot and in the kitchen'? But if that is the way I choose to live out my feminism, it is no less valid than someone choosing to live theirs out by working in the corporate world (and vice versa of course). Her explanation really solidified that for me. Evervard points out that we are equal to men, but we lose our femininity if we don't recognize that we have different gifts to offer. She uses some great examples from the Bible to drive home her thoughts on feminism and celebrating womanhood, as well as quotes from both John Paul II and Mother Teresa.

She also touches on self confidence, which is something that most women could probably use a little encouragement on! She talks about how the world always tells us that we aren't good enough, that we should change, that we should lose weight, or have whiter teeth, or a better job. She points out how this mindset leaves us unempowered and goes on to explain how we can begin accepting and loving ourselves just how we are. I know that, for me, this is a major work in progress, and her words are very helpful to me along that path.

Perhaps my favorite quote is from page 54 where she writes, "Living your faith means being immersed in faith, finding that your very identity, your purpose, and your dreams are all born out of faith.".She explores that further by delving into prayer and tradition. It was so powerful for me to read about because I have spent most of my life as a "Sunday Catholic" or "Cafeteria Catholic". I have just begun very recently to live this way, or attempt to live this way, and finding concrete ways to do this was really helpful in my spiritual development.

The last part I'll mention is her section on friends. She talks about how important friends are, and that they should share your same values but also challenge us to become better- that it's ok to be different in certain ways because that's how we learn and grow, but we also need support in being the women we are called to be. As I have begun to center my life around God, I have had to re-evaluate my friendships to know which ones support who I am becoming. For the most part, everyone has embraced the changes I've made and these are the people that I know will be around for the long haul; we may be very different, but they accept and encourage me and that's what we need. As I continue to lay down roots in my current city, I will keep her words in the back of my head- that I don't have to find women identical to me, but they should share my basic values so that we can reciprocate support and encouragement.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It obviously had many things that stood out and spoke to me, and was a perfect read for where I'm at in my life and spiritual development. I think that it could be beneficial for any woman to read, but specifically young adults or those who feel like they need some guidance in developing their spirituality and faith.


*This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Becoming: The Woman God Made You to Be. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.