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Of Human Clay
303 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 5, 2013
"Of Human Clay," is a glorious read. I had a difficult time putting it down when I finished reading the final pages. I wanted more. It was like a delicious meal that you don't want to end. The first words that came to mind when I finally let it go were beautiful, stunning, and heartbreaking. It's a remarkable love story, not only between a man and woman, but also between a woman, her God, and the people she loved and served for seventeen months as a medical missionary in Malawi, one of the poorest nations in Africa.
Aimee's story begins with her Irish Catholic upbringing and her search for a meaningful life as she enters the convent to become a nun. She spends years preparing herself to become a medical missionary. Later, finding herself in a small, forgotten nation, living among people who have been virtually ignored by a patronizing church, Aimee finds herself facing a patriarchal governing body regulated by Rome and its often hypocritical views of what caring for others is really all about. When she shares her thoughts with a young priest whose feelings are similar to her own, they fall in love, lost in a world of diminishing returns as they each, singularly try to maintain their balance, vows, and the passion they feel for each other and their work.
Filled with important questions about life, love, and caring for others, Aimee's story led me back to my own experiences as a child in the Catholic church and my families dismissal when priests in our parish discovered that my parents had been married by a justice of peace in Maryland, on Valentine's Day in 1942. The next day my father went to war and eventually became a hero in our country's fight to bring peace to a world at war. Told that they were living in sin and that my brothers and I were bastards, my parents left the church never entering the doors of any religious organization again. Even as a child of eight, I felt the stigma and inaccessibility to those who wanted to teach me what and how to believe in a spiritual deity.
I highly recommend this book to anyone immersed in their own spiritual journey. It touches the essence and hearts of all of us whether we follow a traditional faith or have invented our own way of believing or disbelieving.
Aimee's story begins with her Irish Catholic upbringing and her search for a meaningful life as she enters the convent to become a nun. She spends years preparing herself to become a medical missionary. Later, finding herself in a small, forgotten nation, living among people who have been virtually ignored by a patronizing church, Aimee finds herself facing a patriarchal governing body regulated by Rome and its often hypocritical views of what caring for others is really all about. When she shares her thoughts with a young priest whose feelings are similar to her own, they fall in love, lost in a world of diminishing returns as they each, singularly try to maintain their balance, vows, and the passion they feel for each other and their work.
Filled with important questions about life, love, and caring for others, Aimee's story led me back to my own experiences as a child in the Catholic church and my families dismissal when priests in our parish discovered that my parents had been married by a justice of peace in Maryland, on Valentine's Day in 1942. The next day my father went to war and eventually became a hero in our country's fight to bring peace to a world at war. Told that they were living in sin and that my brothers and I were bastards, my parents left the church never entering the doors of any religious organization again. Even as a child of eight, I felt the stigma and inaccessibility to those who wanted to teach me what and how to believe in a spiritual deity.
I highly recommend this book to anyone immersed in their own spiritual journey. It touches the essence and hearts of all of us whether we follow a traditional faith or have invented our own way of believing or disbelieving.
February 16, 2017
A beautifully told tale in which a young woman courageously confronts the clashes between her youthful religious idealism and reality. It is not just a coming of age story, though, but a love story as well. I enjoyed getting to know the protagonist, her story made it easier to understand some of my Catholic female friends of that generation. I found myself anxiously turning the pages, wondering what the future held for her and was surprised by the conclusion.
Ms. Wise came to my book club meeting and all present were charmed by her warm personality and her continued dedication to bringing fresh water to the people of Malawi. All proceeds of her books go toward her cause.
If you are interested in making a donation, please go to her website for further information:
http://www.authoraimeewise.com/
Ms. Wise came to my book club meeting and all present were charmed by her warm personality and her continued dedication to bringing fresh water to the people of Malawi. All proceeds of her books go toward her cause.
If you are interested in making a donation, please go to her website for further information:
http://www.authoraimeewise.com/
September 29, 2014
I really enjoyed this story. Written in a very simple, narrative prose, Aimee Wise takes the reader along on the journey of a naive, structured, faithful woman of a missionary order. I enjoyed it as much as I did Katherine Hulme's "The Nun's Story" decades ago. While the self that left the Catholic church and that has become more and more independent as the decades go on wanted to advise and mentor this young woman, the youngster that was me sees the very human thoughts and emotions revealed.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews