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This Is Woman's Work: Calling Forth Your Inner Council of Wise, Brave, Crazy, Rebellious, Loving, Luminous Selves
"A woman's work is to define herself," writes award-winning slam poet Dominique Christina. While this task is important for everybody, Dominique says, "There is an urgency for women. When you have inherited a construct that names, describes, and practices an ideology that women are somehow less important, less necessary, then the work of defining yourself carries with it a kind of fury."
Every woman is composed of many selves-archetypal players of the psyche who contribute their voices to her greater "I." This Is Woman's Work introduces us to our council of inner women, delving into the secret wisdom and gifts of the Willing Woman, the Rebel, the Shapeshifter, the Warrior, and more. Combining writing exercises with fresh and dynamic insights, Dominique helps us make an intimate connection with each inner woman-known and unknown, loved and feared-so we may integrate their voices, realize their wisdom, and open ourselves to our full expression and power
Every woman is composed of many selves-archetypal players of the psyche who contribute their voices to her greater "I." This Is Woman's Work introduces us to our council of inner women, delving into the secret wisdom and gifts of the Willing Woman, the Rebel, the Shapeshifter, the Warrior, and more. Combining writing exercises with fresh and dynamic insights, Dominique helps us make an intimate connection with each inner woman-known and unknown, loved and feared-so we may integrate their voices, realize their wisdom, and open ourselves to our full expression and power
224 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2015
40 people are currently reading
757 people want to read
About the author
Dominique Christina
18 books48 followers is an award-winning poet, author, educator, and activist. She holds five national poetry slam titles in four years, including the 2014 & 2012 Women of the World Slam Champion and 2011 National Poetry Slam Champion. Her work is greatly influenced by her family's legacy in the Civil Rights Movement and by the idea that worlds make worlds. Her poetry collections: The Bones, The Breaking, The Balm: A Colored Girl's Hymnal, published by Penmanship Books, and They Are All Me, published by Swimming With Elephants Publishing are available now. Her third book, This Is Woman's Work, is set for publication by Sounds True Publishing in October 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 16, 2015
A beautiful mix of poetry and thought-provoking notes on the ways of knowing ourselves as women and understanding our different archetypes.
There are parts that will hurt emotionally to read. I got lost in the raw descriptions, tales, and emotion that make up the gem that is this book. This book, for me, studies the different facets of women's lives - the good and the bad - and tries to make sense of it all.
**For the full review go here**
There are parts that will hurt emotionally to read. I got lost in the raw descriptions, tales, and emotion that make up the gem that is this book. This book, for me, studies the different facets of women's lives - the good and the bad - and tries to make sense of it all.
**For the full review go here**
January 31, 2016
For me this book vacillated between profound and profoundly annoying. I'm a spiritual person but I'm not a poetry slam loving earth mother type. I like to be introspective but I don't care for navel gazing. I appreciate what is intended with this book but I just got impatient with it (so many archetypes! so many writing activities! ) midway through, and ended up skimming through the rest so I could take it back to the library in time. I'll keep it in mind. I could see maybe picking it up again in the future.
February 3, 2016
I can't even wrap my mind around how gorgeous this book was. Dominique Christina is a poet and you can feel it in every word and phrase of this book. How beautifully refreshing to read a text praising the shapes and sounds and voices of women in all their pain and ferocity and joy and glory. My heart ached and sang and cried in my chest as I read this book, and my soul feels fuller having finished it. I wish there was more. I wish everyone who is or knows or loves women could read this. I wish there was more.
May 21, 2022
Yes, this took me almost 2 years to finish. But it was wonderful. It is a book that had exercises at the end of each chapter and each one took a lot of emotional and creative work, so I took my time going through it. But it was magnificent. Highly recommend. Take your time and write the poetry even if it feels ridiculous
August 30, 2020
I was drawn to the beautiful art on the cover of this book. I thought I was simply going to be reading poetry. This book is poetry and so much more. This book could easily be required reading for a class in womens studies. This book will resonate with you and women you know. The poems in each chapther are like beautiful clouds that lead the way to narraitive about different archtypes of women. Dominique Christina's writing will lead to discover more about you. In addition, each chapter includes writing exercises that help you help you do the emotional work necesssary to bring closure to digging up the things that we push down under the surface of who we really are. If you are ready for a challenge... this is the book for you!
February 17, 2019
Whitman wrote “I am large, I contain multitudes” in his poem Song of Myself. I kept coming back to that line as I read Dominque Christina’s gorgeous book about the archetypes women inhabit. Christina is a poet who beautifully explores the different ways we as women exist and the way race, sexuality, patriarchy and trauma impact those archetypes. I saw myself in so many of these types and how I have changed over the years. I also saw so many women I know and this book made me feel more compassionate towards women who behave in ways I don’t understand.
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April 29, 2021I've read several excellent books this week, but this one takes the top for several reasons. Dominique Christina puts her own unique twist on the concept of "parts" or "archetypes" that is fairly common in psychology. Basically, the concept is that each of us is made up of many "parts" of our personality/psyche that develop to deal with various circumstances in our lives. Learning to define and listen to each of our parts can give us wisdom and support when we need it most. In this book, Dominique Christina creates a brilliant exploration of 10 feminine archetypes/parts that most women will relate to. Scanning the table of contents before reading, I didn't expect to connect to most of them. However, nearly every single archetype hit me personally in some way. What made the writing most powerful is Christina's rich, descriptive poetic language and the stories of her African American and Native American heritages. I found her stories of trauma and ancestral pain to be deeply moving. Although the exploration of each archetype begins with her own background, she is still somehow able to expand her ideas to explore a more universal female experience and relate her ideas to a larger audience. I felt like I was getting a serious cultural lesson along with ideas to investigate my own female psyche. If you are a woman, I highly recommend this book. If you are woman who deals with ancestral or cultural trauma, I recommend it even more. I think it would make an excellent read for an all-ladies book group.
The only slight criticism I could possibly suggest is that most of her suggested exercises involve writing, something that doesn't connect with me at all. It makes total sense based on how she obviously processes the world through written language, but for the most part it doesn't work for me. This in no way changes how I think about the book, but I just wanted to mention it in case you are expecting a variety of deep investigative exercises. For me, that part happened on my own. This book is so well done, though, that it wasn't hard for me to explore the concepts in my own way.
The only slight criticism I could possibly suggest is that most of her suggested exercises involve writing, something that doesn't connect with me at all. It makes total sense based on how she obviously processes the world through written language, but for the most part it doesn't work for me. This in no way changes how I think about the book, but I just wanted to mention it in case you are expecting a variety of deep investigative exercises. For me, that part happened on my own. This book is so well done, though, that it wasn't hard for me to explore the concepts in my own way.
August 5, 2024
My therapist recommended this book to me as part of the inner work/exploration/understanding that I was doing. Each chapter begins with a poem that encapsulates that specific archetype and ends with written exercises. Some archetypes may be tough to read because you simply can't or don't want to admit you posses or relate to such qualities. But if you have a concept around the inner system or IFS, maybe you'd be a bit more able to accept that parts of these archetypes are you/have been present. Or, at the very least, have impacted you in some way via a mother, grandmother, etc.
June 29, 2025
I imagine this was a very therapeutic book to write. As the author explored her inner selves, I too could see myself in many of these archetypes, but not all. The Rebel, the Warrior, the Willing Woman to name a few but I identified with the Woman with Cool Hands and the Wombed Woman. So many of these archetypes I recognized in the women I know, the Violated Woman, the Journey Woman. I enjoyed the poems that started each chapter and the writing exercises she gave at the end of each chapter.
July 10, 2018
Keep a box of Kleenex, ice water, pen and paper to write your own reactions. Dominique Christina shows insight that is startling to our lives as women and all the many facets we have whether we are conscious of them or not. Excellent book.
February 28, 2019
It sucks that I had to read the whole book to get to the 2-3 really great passages in it but since they were amazingly awesome I'm giving her 3 stars.
June 11, 2019
An excellent read! And inspiring book!
October 12, 2021
This reminded me a lot of "Women Who Run with the Wolves." These are stories to be savored, be delighted, enjoyed about womanhood and all its lusciousness. It's a book to read again and again.
Want to read
May 16, 2023Recommended by Anne Marie
August 6, 2024
LOVE !!!!!!!
June 12, 2015
This is Woman’s Work. Dominique Christina. Due for publication October 1st 2015; Sounds True, USA. Uncorrected proof obtained from NetGalley.
It is quite obvious from the beginning to the end of this book that Dominique Christina is of African American descent, as she refers to it over and over again, maybe a little too much if it is her desire to have all women come and partake of the richness of her words. I am not saying that her words are unfounded, but she seems to carry her ancestry around with her, almost like baggage. There is no doubt that what happened to her African ancestors, during the time of slavery, was wrong and there is nothing wrong with stating that this is where she came from, but she refers to it several times, unnecessarily, throughout the book.
The other angst i have with this book is Dominique’s continual referral to our ‘patriarchal dominated society’ and how women should break free of this. I agree, we do live in a patriarchal dominated, male dominated, society, which can leave some women feeling second best, and there is nothing wrong with Dominique sharing her passion about this subject, but again she refers to it too much and this could be something that could make some women not want to read this book.
She also uses the word ‘posit’ quite a lot. I thought it meant ‘possible, possibility or even possibly’ but it actually means ‘to lay down or assume as a fact or a principle, to postulate’ (Dictionary.com). So, I learnt a new word, nothing wrong with that, but repetitiveness comes across to me as a lack of thought, meaning, we rely on the same word because it feels safe.
So that is my negative thoughts first and so, now i can leave you with the positive ones.
This is a self help book for women. Dominique begins with the question, ‘Why is it important for women to define themselves?’ She then goes on to say that, ‘Each chapter of this book introduces you to an archetype, named and described as I (Dominique) as come to know her.’ Such archetypes as, ��Ghost Woman ~ She is the waymaker. She knows how not to leave. This is different from not knowing how to leave. The Ghost Woman is an “in spite of” not a “because of”. For all intents and purposes she should be gone…’ Or in fact the ‘Woman with Cool Hands ~ …is the care giver. She is balm and blessing.’
Dominique writes beautifully about twenty such archetypes. There were some that would make me think ‘that’s me’ and there were others that make me think, ‘that’s not me’. For all women are not the same and yet we share so much with each other that all women who read this book will find themselves in several archetypes and I think in some ways certain types will be more relevant to us at certain times in our lives.
At the beginning of each chapter there is a poem, she has written for each woman and at the end she lists the Attributes of each woman. For the Woman with Cool Hands these are; ‘Selfless, Attentive, Generous, Healer, Altruistic, May struggle with self-care’ because they give all to others and nothing to themselves. Then, Dominique give some writing exercises for us to consider and to help us find our true self, letting go of the ideology put on us by others and society. Then she gives Examples of This (the) Archetype, in this case she give Mother Theresa and the late Princess Diana.
If you enjoy the style of book that allows you look within yourself, then you will enjoy this one too.
It is quite obvious from the beginning to the end of this book that Dominique Christina is of African American descent, as she refers to it over and over again, maybe a little too much if it is her desire to have all women come and partake of the richness of her words. I am not saying that her words are unfounded, but she seems to carry her ancestry around with her, almost like baggage. There is no doubt that what happened to her African ancestors, during the time of slavery, was wrong and there is nothing wrong with stating that this is where she came from, but she refers to it several times, unnecessarily, throughout the book.
The other angst i have with this book is Dominique’s continual referral to our ‘patriarchal dominated society’ and how women should break free of this. I agree, we do live in a patriarchal dominated, male dominated, society, which can leave some women feeling second best, and there is nothing wrong with Dominique sharing her passion about this subject, but again she refers to it too much and this could be something that could make some women not want to read this book.
She also uses the word ‘posit’ quite a lot. I thought it meant ‘possible, possibility or even possibly’ but it actually means ‘to lay down or assume as a fact or a principle, to postulate’ (Dictionary.com). So, I learnt a new word, nothing wrong with that, but repetitiveness comes across to me as a lack of thought, meaning, we rely on the same word because it feels safe.
So that is my negative thoughts first and so, now i can leave you with the positive ones.
This is a self help book for women. Dominique begins with the question, ‘Why is it important for women to define themselves?’ She then goes on to say that, ‘Each chapter of this book introduces you to an archetype, named and described as I (Dominique) as come to know her.’ Such archetypes as, ��Ghost Woman ~ She is the waymaker. She knows how not to leave. This is different from not knowing how to leave. The Ghost Woman is an “in spite of” not a “because of”. For all intents and purposes she should be gone…’ Or in fact the ‘Woman with Cool Hands ~ …is the care giver. She is balm and blessing.’
Dominique writes beautifully about twenty such archetypes. There were some that would make me think ‘that’s me’ and there were others that make me think, ‘that’s not me’. For all women are not the same and yet we share so much with each other that all women who read this book will find themselves in several archetypes and I think in some ways certain types will be more relevant to us at certain times in our lives.
At the beginning of each chapter there is a poem, she has written for each woman and at the end she lists the Attributes of each woman. For the Woman with Cool Hands these are; ‘Selfless, Attentive, Generous, Healer, Altruistic, May struggle with self-care’ because they give all to others and nothing to themselves. Then, Dominique give some writing exercises for us to consider and to help us find our true self, letting go of the ideology put on us by others and society. Then she gives Examples of This (the) Archetype, in this case she give Mother Theresa and the late Princess Diana.
If you enjoy the style of book that allows you look within yourself, then you will enjoy this one too.
February 27, 2017
I enjoyed this book.
Some of the exercises were easy, some were hard, some were painful. I want to buy myself a copy so that I can work through them again.
Some of the exercises were easy, some were hard, some were painful. I want to buy myself a copy so that I can work through them again.
May 24, 2023
I loved this book. It’s not a scholarly work on archetypes. It’s Dominique Christina's lived experience of these archetypes. And while I don’t always agree with her point of view, her willingness to share her experience informs my own and offers an invitation or prompt for my own explorations.
It reminded me in some ways of Jill Badonsky’s Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard) - not in tone. Badonsky’s book is a whimsical and fun exploration of the energies that help us access and liberate our creativity, while Christina is delving into many energies that get activated by trauma or hidden by trauma or are marginalized by the dominant culture. But both books offer creative prompts to help readers explore our own experiences with these energies.
Christina writes that Toni Morrison is her favorite writer. Mine too. And I can think of no more fitting tribute to Toni Morrison, and in particular Beloved, than Christina’s epilogue. “Somebody, whose blood moves in me, lay in the bottom of a slave ship and made the supernatural choice to stay. To endure. To keep their heads above their necks. To feel the lash and the branding irons and the dis-ease. To have their mother tongue pulled from their mouths. To be violated and pummeled and snatched and broken again and again and again. And I believe they made that choice because they were thinking about me. About us. About what might be possible if they elected to survive. Somebody should get to tell their story. Somebody would have to put the words back in their mouths. Somebody should resurrect all that was unsaid. Somebody should get free enough to put the flesh on the bones.”
It reminded me in some ways of Jill Badonsky’s Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard) - not in tone. Badonsky’s book is a whimsical and fun exploration of the energies that help us access and liberate our creativity, while Christina is delving into many energies that get activated by trauma or hidden by trauma or are marginalized by the dominant culture. But both books offer creative prompts to help readers explore our own experiences with these energies.
Christina writes that Toni Morrison is her favorite writer. Mine too. And I can think of no more fitting tribute to Toni Morrison, and in particular Beloved, than Christina’s epilogue. “Somebody, whose blood moves in me, lay in the bottom of a slave ship and made the supernatural choice to stay. To endure. To keep their heads above their necks. To feel the lash and the branding irons and the dis-ease. To have their mother tongue pulled from their mouths. To be violated and pummeled and snatched and broken again and again and again. And I believe they made that choice because they were thinking about me. About us. About what might be possible if they elected to survive. Somebody should get to tell their story. Somebody would have to put the words back in their mouths. Somebody should resurrect all that was unsaid. Somebody should get free enough to put the flesh on the bones.”
April 17, 2016
Started reading this in Macau and finished the next Wednesday. Very empowering book and very good discussion on the types of woman present around and within us.
I saw a lot of my auntie in this, but not my mom and not my sister. I saw myself in the shapeshifting woman, because I act/perform a lot in front of other people.
Also I like her view on the Beggar and Obedient Woman. She doesn't condemn them, but instead try to understand where they're coming from. Which I appreciate. 胡美麗 doesn't do that, instead just demand them to stand up for themselves and fight for their rights. Sometimes it doesn't work that way.
I think I will try some of her writing exercises.
I saw a lot of my auntie in this, but not my mom and not my sister. I saw myself in the shapeshifting woman, because I act/perform a lot in front of other people.
Also I like her view on the Beggar and Obedient Woman. She doesn't condemn them, but instead try to understand where they're coming from. Which I appreciate. 胡美麗 doesn't do that, instead just demand them to stand up for themselves and fight for their rights. Sometimes it doesn't work that way.
I think I will try some of her writing exercises.
November 10, 2015
Awesome, awesome, awesome! The best book on archetypes I've ever read. Christina's prose and poetry is luminous. There are so many insights, but I'll pick one: In the Third Eye Woman: "The Third Eye Woman is in the universe. And that universe is her body and all of its facets. Further still, her existence is one that is deeply aware that the universe -- the great big, everything, everywhere universe -- is interested in her. Is moving with her. Is grounding her. Is all of her."
June 28, 2016
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I think this book was just more than I was ready for. There were parts that resonated with me, but others that didn't at all. I don't think it had anything to do with the writing though. It was me. I would recommend this book to women who already have a goodunderstanding of who they are, and are experienced in practicing mindfulness.
July 1, 2018
“ I am better at putting things where they belong. I know how to bury the dead.”
November 4, 2019
Received this as a gift. The poetry is much better than the prose.
November 16, 2025
My bible.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews