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With Your Own Heart and Hands: Wisdom for Young Women Ages 18-25
Upon reaching the age of eighteen, young women everywhere ask themselves many questions. Who am I? Where do I belong? What should I do next? This book was written to help young women ages 18-25 with their journey. It is a time of self-exploration, filled with discovery about yourself and your life's possibilities. Author Cynthia Alika Rose shares the stories and reflections of several young women. She also provides strong encouragement and specific resources. The book covers everything from listening to your intuition to creating a space in your home that is positive and a true reflection of your own inner light. She reminds young women that everything they need to make it through this passage is in their own hearts and hands. This is a gentle, encouraging self-help guide for any young woman during this special time in her life. "The perfect gift for mothers to give their daughters as they prepare to leave the nest. Providing them with the tools to embrace their twenties with confidence and the realization that they are not alone as they endure the struggles of life that are ahead" -Lauren, an interviewee from With Your Own Heart and Hands, with her mother
114 pages, Paperback
First published April 28, 2014
160 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 8, 2014
I received this book in the goodreads giveaway.
This book has left me feeling very muddled. As an emotionally stressed 20 year old I was hoping I could get some good advice and reassurance from this book. However, it really left me feeling like it feel short. I didn't connect with it at all and didn't feel at all helpful. The advice felt really generic and you may ask how advice can be generic. What I mean by that is that it's advice that you hear from your friends, family, or people on the internet who are trying to comfort you. It's advise that doesn't really feel comforting or personal. It's just words that you tell someone to try to make them feel better or so you don't sound insensitive but you don't really understand why they're upset or don't really care.
I also didn't really like the stories; they weren't very diverse. The authors said that they were stories from women of all backgrounds but she really just focused on women of tough and rough backgrounds. It made it hard for me to relate or connect to the story. I didn't grow up in that kind of background, I've lead a normal life, it's in a stressful patch at the moment. I guess I should feel like if these women from rough backgrounds can handle it than I can too but it just seems like every wisdom or self help book focuses on that kind of person when not everyone is from that kind of background. It honestly makes me feel bad for being stressed when others have it worse and that's not how this kind of book should make me feel.
I also didn't like all the biblical references. I'm not trying to hate or bring down your religion, but I think when giving advice it should be left out. I know it's natural to want say things that comfort you to someone else but you need to keep in mind that not every one takes comfort from the idea that god has a plan for them. It's important to realize that not everyone has the same religion and some aren't religious at all.
I kinda found the book a little confusing to read because the layout for the book is kind of awkward and it seems like paragraphs had been switched around or unintentionally placed in the wrong spots. I hope I don't come off as trying to tear down or hate on your book. That's not my intention at all. I just feel like these are somethings that need working on. It was an interesting book to read but I still think that it could use some improvements.
This book has left me feeling very muddled. As an emotionally stressed 20 year old I was hoping I could get some good advice and reassurance from this book. However, it really left me feeling like it feel short. I didn't connect with it at all and didn't feel at all helpful. The advice felt really generic and you may ask how advice can be generic. What I mean by that is that it's advice that you hear from your friends, family, or people on the internet who are trying to comfort you. It's advise that doesn't really feel comforting or personal. It's just words that you tell someone to try to make them feel better or so you don't sound insensitive but you don't really understand why they're upset or don't really care.
I also didn't really like the stories; they weren't very diverse. The authors said that they were stories from women of all backgrounds but she really just focused on women of tough and rough backgrounds. It made it hard for me to relate or connect to the story. I didn't grow up in that kind of background, I've lead a normal life, it's in a stressful patch at the moment. I guess I should feel like if these women from rough backgrounds can handle it than I can too but it just seems like every wisdom or self help book focuses on that kind of person when not everyone is from that kind of background. It honestly makes me feel bad for being stressed when others have it worse and that's not how this kind of book should make me feel.
I also didn't like all the biblical references. I'm not trying to hate or bring down your religion, but I think when giving advice it should be left out. I know it's natural to want say things that comfort you to someone else but you need to keep in mind that not every one takes comfort from the idea that god has a plan for them. It's important to realize that not everyone has the same religion and some aren't religious at all.
I kinda found the book a little confusing to read because the layout for the book is kind of awkward and it seems like paragraphs had been switched around or unintentionally placed in the wrong spots. I hope I don't come off as trying to tear down or hate on your book. That's not my intention at all. I just feel like these are somethings that need working on. It was an interesting book to read but I still think that it could use some improvements.
September 15, 2015
[I got this book for free from a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.]
Well, to begin with, I'm actually 26 right now, so I technically am older than the intended audience. :)
I did enjoy reading the book. It seemed to offer a lot of good advice. Much of it was general guidelines and advice, things that seem to me to be common sense...but then, I'm not a teenaged girl anymore. Maybe if I had had this book back when I was younger, they wouldn't have seemed as obvious to me.
I think the one thing I would have liked would have been for the book to be longer.
But that might just be me. I like words. I like books with lots of words. I have the patience to sit and read books with hundreds and hundreds of pages.
There were many sections that seemed to just scrape the tip of the iceberg, though, and that felt like if there had been more details or more information, it would have been more satisfying. As it was, it felt more like looking at a delicious cupcake, but only getting to lick the frosting.
In some cases it made the summaries at the end seem unnecessary and repetitive, because the summaries would just restate, in almost the exact same words, what had been said in the chapter.
I particularly liked the parts that were examples from real women's lives, and that they weren't just 'Oh, I knew exactly what to do with my life and things are going perfect and life is so wonderful and inspiring.' It was real people having real problems, but getting past them.
There were a few editing things that were distracting to me.
Many of the transitions seemed very abrupt, especially where it would go from the normal advice into a story of someone's life. In one case, the 'title' for the woman was completely separated from her story, which looked awkward on the page. (Page 25-26)
Also, I cannot be certain, but it seems to me like the summaries for chapter 3 got switched with the ones for chapter 4.
It was a short, sweet book with some very good advice for young women. I did not get much out of it personally, but then I'm not the intended target audience, either. :)
I'm going to be passing it on to my sister to read - she's 16, so she should get more from the book than I did.
I would certainly recommend it to any young woman who is concerned about their future, who don't yet know exactly what they want to do with their life.
Well, to begin with, I'm actually 26 right now, so I technically am older than the intended audience. :)
I did enjoy reading the book. It seemed to offer a lot of good advice. Much of it was general guidelines and advice, things that seem to me to be common sense...but then, I'm not a teenaged girl anymore. Maybe if I had had this book back when I was younger, they wouldn't have seemed as obvious to me.
I think the one thing I would have liked would have been for the book to be longer.
But that might just be me. I like words. I like books with lots of words. I have the patience to sit and read books with hundreds and hundreds of pages.
There were many sections that seemed to just scrape the tip of the iceberg, though, and that felt like if there had been more details or more information, it would have been more satisfying. As it was, it felt more like looking at a delicious cupcake, but only getting to lick the frosting.
In some cases it made the summaries at the end seem unnecessary and repetitive, because the summaries would just restate, in almost the exact same words, what had been said in the chapter.
I particularly liked the parts that were examples from real women's lives, and that they weren't just 'Oh, I knew exactly what to do with my life and things are going perfect and life is so wonderful and inspiring.' It was real people having real problems, but getting past them.
There were a few editing things that were distracting to me.
Many of the transitions seemed very abrupt, especially where it would go from the normal advice into a story of someone's life. In one case, the 'title' for the woman was completely separated from her story, which looked awkward on the page. (Page 25-26)
Also, I cannot be certain, but it seems to me like the summaries for chapter 3 got switched with the ones for chapter 4.
It was a short, sweet book with some very good advice for young women. I did not get much out of it personally, but then I'm not the intended target audience, either. :)
I'm going to be passing it on to my sister to read - she's 16, so she should get more from the book than I did.
I would certainly recommend it to any young woman who is concerned about their future, who don't yet know exactly what they want to do with their life.
February 7, 2015
I received a free copy of this book from the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review. Wonderfully informative book that all young women should read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews