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72nd out of 383 books
—
442 voters
Jesus Girls: True Tales of Growing Up Female and Evangelical
by
Hannah Faith Notess (Goodreads Author)
From an early age you are expected to have a "testimony," a story of how God saved you from a life of sin and sadness and gave you a new life of joy and gladness. What if your story just doesn't fit the before-and-after mold? Or, what are you supposed to do if your voice is not one usually heard?
In these offbeat, witty, and often bittersweet essays, up-and-coming writers t
...morePaperback, 238 pages
Published
September 1st 2009
by Cascade Books
(first published 2009)
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22 women share their “untestimonies” -- authentic accounts of their evangelical upbringing. Some have kept their faith, some have not. They reflect back on the awkwardness and deficiencies in their church youth subcultures, with an adult perspective that was either not understood or not allowed when young.
Oct 29, 2009
Kristen
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who wants to understand the experiences of 25-35yo women who grew up in evangelicalism
Recommended to Kristen by:
the internet monk, my pastor
I read Jesus Girls with my pastor and a few friends, and gathered with them to talk about what it means to grow up evangelical and a woman. For me, this book brought about a great deal of nostalgic memories from bouncing around the different streams of evangelicalism as a child. The stories rang true to my experiences and the ones of my peers. One of the things that struck me was how many of the authors found refuge in more liturgical churches as adults. Also, how messed up messages of sexuality...more
These days, the word 'evangelical' often has a negative connotation, bringing to mind a mass of brainwashed believers. This book balances that reductive view of Christianity by looking at 22 women who were raised in evangelical churches, some of whom eventually left, others who stayed, but all of whom have stories to share. As with any multi-author collection, some of the essays are much better than others, but on the whole, this is a fascinating look at growing up Christian.
There are plenty of...more
There are plenty of...more
I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book, and I didn't agree with everything in it (there are few books where this is the case) but I loved this collection. It was like being in a small group of women in their 20s, 30s and 40s. So many times I thought: I've lived that. It reminded me that I am not the only one who has had some of the experiences I've had, and also that there are other experiences out there that I have little to no awareness of. I'm glad I read this. It challenged me.
I really fascinating collection. Some others well-written, others not so much. Helpful overall in processing my evangelical/fundamentalist upbringing.
The tone was more negative than I expected. Includes some really great stories, though. Loved Melanie's, of course.
We need more books like this: Testimonies about personal faith that are as honest about difficulties and doubts as they are about insight and inspiration. Kudos to editor Hannah Notess who gathered these frank accounts. This book would make an excellent gift to any high-school or college-aged young woman who is exploring issues of faith. It's not a book that preaches at you; it's a book that kindles questions and emboldens the reader to investigate those questions with confidence.
Fascinating book about women growing up in an Evangelical church. Some of the stories are heart breaking, some are filled with hope and others leave you hanging... wondering what will happen next in these women's lives. It gave me some ideas on what to talk to my daughter about as we navigate church, life and God together.
4.5....So close to 5 stars for me. However, as is typical in anthologies, the stories were uneven for me. Some, especially the first two, I loved! I totally identified with them, I even felt like they could have been written about my childhood/adolescence. This is a must read for any female that grew up evangelical.
A collection of essays on various topics by women who grew up in evangelical churches. Very interesting and thought-provoking!
Thoroughly enjoyable - great range of perspectives and final outcomes. The opposite of trite.
Jun 17, 2013
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Hannah Faith Notess is the managing editor of Response magazine at Seattle Pacific University. She earned an MFA in creative writing from Indiana University and was the 2008-2009 Milton Center Fellow at Seattle Pacific University. Her writing has appeared in The Christian Century, Crab Orchard Review, and Slate, among other journals. She lives in Seattle and is learning how to make espresso.
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