A Short Review of The Heroine's Journey, by Maureen Murdock

The Heroine's Journey: Woman's Quest for Wholeness by Maureen Murdock

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Murdock wrote this book to be therapeutic, to not just share the "essence of the female journey," but to guide women through a journey of self-actualization, of self-discovery, as she grows up, comes of age, as she becomes her self, as she becomes an adult woman.

The heroine's journey template used is akin to the Hero's Journey or the Monomyth made so familiar by Joseph Campbell, and the book takes the reader through each stage, from Separation from the Feminine to Integration of the Feminine and the Masculine, to wholeness. There are many examples or stories given of women at each stage, and I think this could be a very useful book.

What I missed was any acknowledgment of women who were not straight, who were not seeking a "man with a heart." I wanted to read more of the mythic at work here, but that is not what Murdock is about--for that, read Frankel, From Girl to Goddess. I would recommend reading both books together.




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