Task #12: Read a memoir by someone from a religious tradition (or lack of religious tradition) that is not your own

[Megan]

I read The Bassoon King: My Life in Art, Faith, and Idiocy by Rainn Wilson (Dwight from the Office). He was raised and still identifies as Bahai. I would recommend it, especially if you like Rainn himself and are in the mood for a lighter-hearted memoir.

[Eric]

Megan wrote: "I read The Bassoon King: My Life in Art, Faith, and Idiocy by Rainn Wilson (Dwight from the Office). He was raised and still identifies as Bahai. I would recommend it, especially if..."

Shoot - I have The Bassoon King sitting in my To Be Read pile, but I didn’t think it would fit with any remaining prompts for me. I totally forgot about the faith aspect of it.

I just finished When I Spoke in Tongues: A Pentecostal Girlhood by Jessica Wilbanks. This is a deconversion story (loss of a faith). I’ve read some other deconversion works, and sometimes these writers seem to oversimplify things - like they just woke up one day and faith no longer made sense, so they were done with it. In this book, you get a clear sense that it wasn’t that simple for the author.

[Megan]

Eric wrote: "Megan wrote: "I read The Bassoon King: My Life in Art, Faith, and Idiocy by Rainn Wilson (Dwight from the Office). He was raised and still identifies as Bahai. I would recommend it,..."

Honestly I happened to be reading Bassoon King when I realized it fit this category -- ha! When I spoke in Tongues sounds really interesting. Thanks for the review!

[Mariah]

Would Reading Lolita in Tehran qualify?

[Christine]

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity Now this book is of my religion but I want to speak up about this book. This book has to do with Muslims and you really find out about this religion. You see how wonderful Muslim religion and the love and peach they really are. I suggest this book to anyone. Now they do talk about Christianity a lot but I love this book because they open my eyes to the wonder of the Muslim religion!

[Hayley]

the field's really wide open on that one

[Emerging]

Mariah wrote: "Would Reading Lolita in Tehran qualify?"
I've seen the author described as "secular," but I really don't know what her belief system is or what religious identity she might have.

[Sheri]

I read Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots, mainly based on what my library had digitally. I ended up being really engrossed, it was a really powerful book!

Re; Lolita in Tehran, I read it earlier this year for another challenge. It could probably work. She herself isn't particularly religious, but it's about her being in Iran during the time where women went from being reasonably free to work and gather and wear what they want to being forced into robes and veils and out of the work place. So she herself might not be involved in the religion, but it certainly affected her life to a great degree.

[Westiegirl]

I read Unfollow: A Journey from Hatred to Hope it was an interesting read about leaving an extreme religious group.