Twenty-Two: Letters to a Young Woman Searching for Meaning

by Allison Trowbridge

Never in history has a young woman had so many options before her, yet never has she had less direction or guidance on what to do with them. A woman at the precipice of adulthood often finds herself with more questions than answers, with more disenchantment than direction. How is she supposed to “lean in” to a successful career while also building deeply meaningful relationships? How can she care for the community around her while simultaneously developing a global mindset and changing the world? How can she be all that she is destined to be without feeling paralyzed by the pressure of so many prospects?

In Twenty-Two, the author becomes the mentor she was looking for. Drawing from her own experience and from the wisdom of others, she offers advice and counsel in a series of personal letters to “Ashley,” a fictional college student looking for mentorship from someone one step ahead in life.

Over the course of twenty-two letters, Trowbridge addresses a wide range of practical issues and ties them to larger concerns such as identity, loss, social impact as a lifestyle, wisdom in the ordinary moments, and the profound way God’s work is realized in how we live every day.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Christian, Memoir, Personal Development, Womens, Inspirational

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 4, 2017

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The terms of endearment throughout the book were a little creepy. The letters were long winded at times. This would have been better is it was written in diary form.

[gretah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a mix of:
- obvious advice which any girl with a common sense should have
- a LOT of Christianity forced down my throat
- the author talking about all the countries she's been to and how much of a good person she is

While some parts were enjoyable, most of it I didn't like and it got even worse as the book progressed. The way Trowbridge explains snippets of her life are in a jumbled, non-chronologic way so it kind of felt like she was remembering things and adding them in as she goes along, with no actual structure.

At first enjoyed the apostrofe but when the author stated naming other people that were friends of Ashley and speaking about having met up with her and about her health, I got lost. Also, I felt like the Ashley having cancer thing was just added for shock value

Overall, don't think I'd recommend.

[Valeria Lipovetsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must read to any young adult woman!

[Hollie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was legit the most boring book I’ve ever read. It’s not about searching for a meaning... it’s about her talking about her life with religious anecdotes.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book (I got the audio version). At first, a lot of the topics were related to college and relationships which did not really apply to me at all. However, as the book went on, I enjoyed it more and more. The topics became more applicable and I loved listening to Allison's stories. There were a lot of heavy topics discussed in this book - human trafficking, rape, drugs, drinking, death, etc. I did not agree with everything... Although it was certainly interesting. I wouldn't recommend this book for younger readers and it was certainly written with a contemporary Christian perspective. But that doesn't change the fact that I enjoyed listening to this book!

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars. Yikes this was not what I expected and the ending definitely made me dislike this book even more. I feel like this would've been a good novel if it was a fictional contemporary, but it wasn't. Review to come.

[anushka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is beautiful and trust me on this, I kept on highlighting lines I loved (which was a lot!) I feel like I know Allie in some distant world because the kinds of advices she gave showed the kind of experiences she must've had (also, I'm starting uni this year so I realllllyyyy needed this read)

But I can understand if some do not get it completely or are not able to like it that much. Whatsoever, it is beautifully written and that too in form of twenty-two letters that you'll mostly get/relate to by the time you reach the age of twenty-two.

I think we all have different experiences and opinions and that will affect our understanding of this book. For e.g. I'm an atheist and Allie is one of the most spiritual (I guess religious too) people I've ever read so that definitely affected my understanding of the parts where she was talking about God and beliefs. However, I followed it through because I wanted to listen to her understanding of her beliefs. I'm glad I picked this one up. Hope you like it too (liked, if you've already read this) but if you do not like it completely, it's totally okay :)

[Marquishia Washington · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been 4 years since I graduated college and what I'm going through in life right now really made this book come to life for me. Wanting to trust God FULLY but also do life my own way; many worries, questions and doubts about life and decisions, has left me all kinds of wild in my brain. This book covers so much on a young woman's experiences and the everyday things we face and how to overcome them. Allison shows us how to live life to the fullest with no regrets and challenge ourselves day by day to become better than we were the day before. This book will make you cry and laugh and leave you with so much peace while on this rollercoaster we call life.

[Manda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. Did not hit the notes for 22 year old me.

[Didi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️
" you were a wonderful experience " Ash to Allison
" you were everything" Alison to ash

[Kaitlyn Bouchillon · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I could, I'd give the book 3.5 stars. This book is a little bit like reading a diary, full of 22 letters written by Allison (the author) to a character named Ashley. In the book, Allison goes by A and calls Ashley "Ash" or "darling girl" or "dear girl."

The names for Ashley are the main reason why I couldn't give this book a higher rating. The content is good and although there are certainly loose ends and stories that seem a little out of place within the book, as a whole it's a great compilation of work that truly sounds like something a mentor would share with a college-age girl.

However, I couldn't get past all the "darling girl" and "I'm thinking of you, dear Ash" lines all over the place. Almost every page of the book has some sort of friend reference like this. I'll be the first to admit that I do use this sort of language with my real life friends. Unfortunately, I think it was way over-done in this book. I assume it was used to convey the idea that A is writing to a real person (to help the reader feel like these are actual letters)... but ultimately, it felt forced and every reference jolted me from the storyline and the truth within the letters. It was a distraction. (I would have easily given the book 4 or even 4.5 stars if the character of Ashley was called Ashley or, on occasion, Ash.)

If you can get past it, though, the content within the book is really great. Covering all four years of college, A writes to Ashley about everything from new beginnings to calling to communication to romance to trusting God when things are extremely difficult. You'll feel like you're along for the journey.

For reference, I'm 24 (I've been out of college for 2 years) and the lessons in this book still resonated with me. I think this book would be a great graduation gift for a young woman about to begin her first year of college! I'd certainly be interested in reading more from Allison, but hope it will include fewer forced nicknames on every page.

[dearrivarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy for review but all my thoughts are 100% my own.

I wish I could have picked this book up without having to write a review immediately because of the way it was structured. Twenty-Two is composed of twenty-two letters from the author to a fictional college student named Ash where the author serves as a mentor to the girl throughout her four years of college. I picked this up because I was drawn by a desire to have a mentor-life figure in my life and I really enjoyed the laid back style of the writing - it's almost as if the reader was Ash because everything was so intimate.

Just by picking up this book, I was immediately struck by so many phrases that resonated with me and my experience as a freshman and I had just read the first chapter. There are so many beautiful quotes throughout the novel and great life teachings that I think are really important for everyone to hear regarding different aspects of college life.

After reading the first couple of chapters, I already had so many post-its marking special phrases that I knew I wanted to journal on and reflect on later and that just continued throughout the book. There really isn't an exact way to "review" this book because I think it'll speak to everyone differently based on their experiences but it really impacted my understanding of college and it's something that I will definitely reference in the future throughout the years.

Find more reviews at Le Petit Photograph

[Carolina Hinojosa-Cisneros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in letters which are formatted more into sections than actual letters, Trowbridge lends advice to a fictional character named Ash. The reader doesn't encounter Ash's response to Allison throughout the book. We only read Allison's view and well-meaning guidance.

Her advice is informed by her own experiences in college. Trowbridge states this is the book she wanted to read when she was twenty-two. Ash is every young woman who identifies with the character - going off to college, making her way through reality, and searching for more than what is presented to her. She is open and ready to receive.

I couldn't relate to Twenty-Two. I needed a different kind of advice when I finally made it through college. I enjoyed engaging with the pages as I gear up to see my teenager through her senior year in high school. I gleaned some beautiful advice from the "Last Pick" section/letter: 

"Being the outsider cracked the soul of my world, and into those deep crevices I felt God pouring the fertile seeds of empathy. One day those seeds would blossom into greater faith - a faith put into practice as I learned to love others in the ways I wanted to be loved" (Trowbridge, 138). 

I recommend this book to young women going into their senior year of high school or are college bound. It is not bound in scripture but does have a few inspirational ones. I appreciated that. Twenty-Two makes a nice graduation gift.

[Taryn Prutsman · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a recent college grad in my early 20s, I was very excited to read this book. It’s beautifully colored cover and call to women “searching for meaning” seemed like the perfect fit for me. Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed and found myself reading to just to finish the book rather than absorbing quality advice.

There were some good lessons scattered in the chapters, but it seemed as if the author really was just writing to brag and share details of all the traveling she has done and work she has accomplished. The author of this book also works for a nonprofit, which she discusses in great detail throughout the book. I found these parts to be rather irrelevant, unless you have interest in working for/starting an NGO.

For a book intending to spark motivation and meaning in young women’s lives, the ending was rather morbid.
I would not recommended this book.

[Rosemary Kelleher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I asked for this book for my 22nd birthday. I’ve only just finished it as I nearly reach 23. But I can honestly say through Allison’s words I will take away so much from this book. I was a little confused as to who she was writing to till until I read the front of the book, haha!! I find the book so inspirational as Allison talks of her own experiences. They way she talks about her career and work with anti slavery. I think it was a lovely read and I would definitely recommend to other young women.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first few chapters were great. I found them to be easily relatable, and quite applicable to things that I had experienced up to that point at the beginning of my second year in university. I got bored about 100 pages in and found myself reading just to finish the book, and then simply skimming to get to the end. I'll admit that I didn't read every single detail of the text, but the ending came completely out of left field and left me very confused.

[Courtney Reel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the personal stories and the advice from Allison. She had very helpful commentary on a variety of things that most young women will go through.

The thing that I couldn’t get past was the fictional character “Ash” she is talking to the whole time. I had a hard time connecting with the fictional aspect of the book and think it would’ve worked better as an autobiography.

[Zibby Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twenty-Two is a book we all wish we had in our twenties. This speaks to the season of transition and gave that mentorship and guidance once you leave college and your life is no longer chartered for you.
This is a series of 22 letters that grapple with different topics that we face as young women. The letters are divided into years by freshman, sophomore, and junior, then break into life's seasons.

The writing was so lovely, it gave me chills. I circled so many phrases and sentences, and have been thinking about a lot of the things she wrote. There was one thing the author said about body relationships. She wrote, "I love my body, and I resent my body all at once. It's the border between my soul and the world. It keeps me both protected and trapped. It defines me, confines me. It empowers me, devours me. It has limits. It breaks down. It allows me to dance in the redwoods and to jump into waves, and to paint. My mind cannot control or shape my body's natural form. It grows and ages outside my command, programmed by some preordered DNA that nothing can override, and yet it's mine and no one else's. It's the only one I've got and the only one I'll ever have, this side of heaven at least." Then she says, "I can't take my body back, but I can tend to it. My mind is a gardener to this wild, messy, beautiful plot of land we call our being. I can feed it and care for it and even decorate it, and that's really half the fun, the decoration, but so many young women, myself included, focus too much energy on trying to look like someone else when all we can and should be is the healthiest, most vibrant versions of the physical selves we've been given." At the end of the passage, she says, "I suppose that's part of the wonder of bodies, their absolute, undeniable frailty. One day, they will up and quit, and there's nothing we can do when that final moment comes. We can spend our whole lives running from a certain end, or we can welcome it, for the promise of an end is the very thing that proves we are alive." I thought this was so soulful and beautiful and true. We're just in the shrink-wrap versions of ourselves.

To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://www.momsdonthavetimetoreadboo...

[Anna Tymoshenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written, made me think about a lot of things and simply resonated with this season.. Definitely recommended! Sharing a few of my favourite quotes below:


"I’ve realized something true to the contrary. Life isn’t so much about growing up or growing old as it is about becoming real. "

"At some point I’d resigned myself to a certain type of nomadic life, which meant I would always be apart from someone I love. I suppose I could have prevented this years ago by going to the community college and renting an apartment next door to my folks and never going farther than the grocery store. But from a young age, I knew that, in order to be me, I had to leave. I knew there were aspects of who I would bewho I needed to become—that could only be achieved in places farther south on the 101, and ten thousand miles away across the ocean. If I wanted to be present in those places, it meant I would inevitably fall in love with the people I met along the way: host families, and travelers, and roommates, and adopted grandmothers.
This, dear Ash, is the joyous burden we bear in order to live a big life. If you love just a few people conservatively, you may have more ease, but your world will be so much smaller. Remember that when you’re missing home this month."

"Comparison, it’s been said, is the thief of joy. And joy is far too valuable for us to leave the door unlocked. Rather than wishing our days away on someone else’s more perfect existence, we need to own our personal missions, like soldiers in specific assignments. Lifelong missions from a general we can trust wholeheartedly, who knows each of us, our gifts, and our talents. There’s something freeing in that. That freedom—of living outside comparison—allows us to begin our custom-designed, uniquely assigned vocation."


Excerpt from: "Twenty-Two: Letters to a Young Woman Searching for Meaning" by Allison Trowbridge.

[Kelly Funk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading twenty-two is akin to living on the kairos time of which the author speaks: moments of joy that break through the to and fro struggle of chronos, the rushed nature of our scheduled days, and cause us to pause and marvel at the beauty of the world around us, to wonder at the multitude of blessings we experience daily. Full of wisdom and altruism, Allie inspires us by relating a life well-lived in a series of letters to a fictional mentee struggling with the rigors of college, faith, and the ever-looming adulthood. Sprinkled throughout are her own struggles with vanity, materialism, and a constant need to be made new and exciting in a world where the here and the now and the next best thing happened 5 seconds ago. She struggles with living a life of moments that mean something instead of worrying about “whether she wants her coffee hot or iced or when a dress will go on sale or how many likes her social media post will receive”. Allie is unbelievably raw and relatable in these moments, and it is her honesty and vulnerability that allow us to draw the parallel between her life and our own. If we live like her and struggle like her in the darkest of moments, then, obviously we can live like her and succeed like her in our own moments of selflessness and unadulterated joy. A beautiful book for women of any age that can be devoured in one sitting or read as the perfect, daily devotional, one inspiring letter as a time.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Twenty Two" is a book where you spend time sinking your teeth into the letters between Allison and Ashley. I love how authentic this Allison is in her writing about not having her life all together, but is just super honest about the things she is going through when she is writing to Ashley. Our world could learn from her vulnerability and ability to express herself. I found this book to be refreshing and also would be perfect for the graduate in your life.
Additionally, if you choose to read this book, I recommend taking time as you go through the letters. It will help the experiences that these two women share with one another, allow you to reflect on your own journey. This book can bring up great memories and did from my college years, but it also brought up some painful memories. I loved the premise of this book about having a mentor. I think we all need someone who is further along in the journey than we are. I think this book is inspiring and will allow you to live more passionately as you become more vulnerable with women in your community. I give this book 4/5 stars. A favorable review was not required.

[Natacha Ramos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very, very good.

It spoke directly to my heart in more than one occasion. I am profoundly grateful because I feel like I read it at the right time. God used it to tell me that I’m not alone in my struggles.

I needed this, someone ahead of me in life that could connect with my current situation and helped me understand better what I’m going through exactly.

I could relate so much with Allison and the experiences she shared with sweet Ashley. I think one of the most meaningful things to me was that this mentor was not pretending she had life completely figured out. Instead, she recognized that we’re all a work in process, including her.

This is not the kind of book you want to rush through because each chapter has a very unique lesson to teach you. It’s better to go little by little and let truth sink in your soul.

Both our painful and happy memories allow us to reach others, that’s why we must treasure both.

**I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own**

[Cricket Muse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique blend of memoir and inspirational advice, with a touch of fiction form the basis of Allison Trowbridge's Twenty Two. This book provides readers with a series of letters from the author to Ashley, a fictional woman entering college who is looking for a mentor. Trowbridge attempts to fill in that role by relating to Ash, as she is so often referred, her myriad life experiences --and they are incredibly varied. From hard crushes to failed relationships to dream jobs to dedicating efforts to worthy issues to painful recoveries, Trowbridge shares her life with readers and with her younger friend.
Trowbridge has a likable, upbeat style that creates an engaging read. The interjection of advice to Ashley is sporadic and at times seems an afterthought, especially when accompanied by tags of "dear girl" making the advice given sound as if it's coming from spinster aunt instead of a dynamic young woman. One concern is how the blending of a fictional pen pal with a real-life memoir sets up a lop-sided buy-in factor: what is real and what isn't in the book?
Addressed towards young women on the cusp of stepping out into the world after college, Trowbridge provides a portrait of how full life can be along with insights on choices made, especially when choices have consequences.
I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. The opinions are my own.

[Jessica Crouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received aa ARC copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways.

I enjoyed reading the stories of the author's experiences and adventures. I also appreciated the insights she shared about how her diverse experiences may not have seemed linked on her career path but ultimately gave her the skills she needed for her continued success. She used some great quotes throughout the book that tied in to her message in each chapter.

I did not care for the fictional letters to a fictional character format. I feel that the author's experience and wisdom are strong enough on their own, and that at times the fictional format and style of the book hampered the impact of the author's nonfictional experience.

Also, this book has a strong religious influence. I didn't personally mind it, because the author's religion clearly has played a significant role in her personal and career development, but I do think that religion played a large enough piece in this book to warrant tagging it as a faith-based book.

[Kimberly (kimberly_reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5 stars

This book had quite a few messages I needed to hear and I appreciate the author sharing them so much. However, the format of these ‘letters’ were a little hard to follow multiple times and the use of many nicknames were taking away from what the author was trying to share while reading (such as ‘Ash’, ‘dear girl’ and ‘dear darling’).

While I understand the intention in giving Ashley cancer to close the story (and upon reading the acknowledgment where it’s said it was in honor of someone in her real life, I can see how this was a direction she needed to cover), upon first reading the letter where the author finds this out I was really disappointed that this was the direction the book was taking in order to finish things. I wanted to hear more about the adventures and life experiences Ashley was going to have but that wasn’t really possible with her having cancer and ultimately passing away because of it.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and the messages it contained.

(In case you want to pick this book up, just be aware there is mentions of rape and assault!)

[Shanelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ok this book def has a religious tone so don’t read it if you’re not into that lol. i liked it tho i felt like some of the advice was a bit cringe but a lot of it was really relatable. early 20s are such a wild time of just being like ???????? all the time bc u have no clue what’s going on and it’s nice to have someone to validate that and be like “enjoy the journey” bc that’s rlly all life is. there were some portions that made me tear up i love the velveteen rabbit. n i wasn’t expecting the girl to DIE i was very upset by that development and the letter to emma made me sob.

things i didn’t like: at one point the author is talking abt being 16 liking the 22 year old youth leader who waited for her to turn 18 and then they dated like 🫣 ew. i also am not super on board with all the mission trips lol

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a First Read in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Allison Trowbridge wished she had had a mentor in college to help her work through the questions that all college students struggle with. Eventually, she was inspired to write this book, a collection of 22 letters from her to a fictional college student, Ash.

Allison has an incredible wealth of experience to draw upon when writing these letters, and her writing is colorful and evocative. I am closer to the author's age than a traditional college student's, and the advice she gives is spot on. I would definitely recommend this book to young women looking for guidance.

[Natalyn]

Twenty-Two was a book I was hesitant to pick up. I feel like when a christian book comes too highly recommended, it makes me suspicious. This book however was wonderful. It was like receiving letters from the older sister I never had. Trowbridge is honest and puts life into perspective. Her warm voice pervades the book and makes you feel like you could be sitting in a coffee shop with a friend. The advice she gives often deals with struggles many people haven't figured out quite how to put into words yet.

See my full review: North of Nonsense Blog

[Lysanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

If there is one book that is qoute-worthy, it is this one. This book has so much wisdom and life-lessons in it. I was constantly marking lines while reading it so I could go back to them afterwards. Also the author seems like such a sweet person. The reasons I gave it three and not five stars is that the book felt forced sometimes. As if the author wanted to squeeze in as much wisdom as possible and therefore further devided the 22 letters in a collection of single memoirs, which often were not connected at all. Those memoirs made the book feel like an autobiography in some parts, although I still haven't figured out if the book is based only on the authors own experiences.