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The Awakened Woman: Remembering & Reigniting Our Sacred Dreams
Winner of the 2017 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work—Instructional
Through one incredible woman’s journey from a child bride in a small Zimbabwe village to one of the world’s most recognizable voices in women’s empowerment and education, this manifesto inspires women to pursue their sacred dreams through nine essential lessons brought forth from ancient African wisdom.
Before Tererai Trent landed on Oprah’s stage as her “favorite guest of all time,” she was a woman with a forgotten dream. As a young girl in a cattle-herding village in Zimbabwe, she dreamed of receiving an education but instead was married young and by eighteen, without a high school graduation, she was already a mother of three. Tererai encountered a visiting American woman who assured her that anything was possible, reawakening her sacred dream. Tererai planted her dreams deep in the earth and prayed they would grow. They did, and now not only has she earned her PhD but she has also built schools for girls in Zimbabwe, with funding from Oprah. The Awakened Woman: Remembering & Reigniting Our Sacred Dreams is her accessible, intimate, and evocative guide that teaches nine essential lessons to encourage all women to reexamine their dreams and uncover the power hidden within them—power that can recreate our world for the better.
Tererai points out that there is a massive, untapped, global resource in women who have, for one reason or another, set aside their wisdom, their skills, and their dreams in order to take care of the personal business of their lives. Not only is this a type of invisible suffering experienced by countless women, this rich resource is a secret weapon for improving our world. Women have the capacity to inspire, to create, to transform—and Tererai’s call to action will awaken hearts, give permission to recapture dreams, and provide the tools to forge a brighter path for all. This is the movement of Sacred Sisters.
Through one incredible woman’s journey from a child bride in a small Zimbabwe village to one of the world’s most recognizable voices in women’s empowerment and education, this manifesto inspires women to pursue their sacred dreams through nine essential lessons brought forth from ancient African wisdom.
Before Tererai Trent landed on Oprah’s stage as her “favorite guest of all time,” she was a woman with a forgotten dream. As a young girl in a cattle-herding village in Zimbabwe, she dreamed of receiving an education but instead was married young and by eighteen, without a high school graduation, she was already a mother of three. Tererai encountered a visiting American woman who assured her that anything was possible, reawakening her sacred dream. Tererai planted her dreams deep in the earth and prayed they would grow. They did, and now not only has she earned her PhD but she has also built schools for girls in Zimbabwe, with funding from Oprah. The Awakened Woman: Remembering & Reigniting Our Sacred Dreams is her accessible, intimate, and evocative guide that teaches nine essential lessons to encourage all women to reexamine their dreams and uncover the power hidden within them—power that can recreate our world for the better.
Tererai points out that there is a massive, untapped, global resource in women who have, for one reason or another, set aside their wisdom, their skills, and their dreams in order to take care of the personal business of their lives. Not only is this a type of invisible suffering experienced by countless women, this rich resource is a secret weapon for improving our world. Women have the capacity to inspire, to create, to transform—and Tererai’s call to action will awaken hearts, give permission to recapture dreams, and provide the tools to forge a brighter path for all. This is the movement of Sacred Sisters.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 3, 2017
241 people are currently reading
2881 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
October 28, 2021
I really liked reading a book written by an African woman in the women's empowerment/self-help space (instead of the vapid/white/Rachel Hollis types that usually get book deals), however, this really didn't resonate with me. I loved her storytelling and the meaning she derived from the various struggles in her life. I think I would have enjoyed this much more as straight memoir and not as a prescriptive I-did-this-and-you-can-too book.
November 10, 2018
Highly recommend the book. Tererai spoke at my luncheon and she is a fierce and powerful advocate for the power of women to change the world. The book is both a fascinating tale of her life and a guide for women who want to realize a dream.
April 20, 2019
Women need to read this book!
January 27, 2023
I had high expectations for this book which may be why I was disappointed. I think Dr Trent’s story and lessons are amazing- however reading this book was tough. I often found myself skimming through most of it.
May 11, 2021
This book made me have the courage to end my abusive relationship, and finally return to college like I have been dreaming about for the last four years. Do all of the exercises! You will benefit greatly from them.
March 11, 2024
Do not read this book if you are not ready to do the work! Dr. Trent awakes women to reality and shakes you into action. Using a mix of ethnographic narrative and inspirational motivation, this book can help any person to understand the burden and strength of being a woman. A must read that provides tangible (however difficult) steps to finding your purpose.
October 30, 2017
This was one of the best self-help books I have read in a while in that the author does an excellent job giving you practical instructions on how to search your inner self and awaken your dreams. I enjoyed how she mixed in her personal experiences with her suggestions. I never felt like she was preaching or talking down to her audience. I would recommend this book to anyone struggling with "what they want to be when they grow up."
June 27, 2018
I use Goodreads primarily for myself - to remember what I've read. I don't like rating books. Tererai Trent is a 5-star person, without a doubt. Named Oprah's Favorite Guest Ever, I only heard of her this year when she spoke at the Cleveland City Club Forum. Her journey from an 18-year-old mother of four (and abused wife) living in a cattle-herding village in Zimbabwe to a PhD is inspiring. But (as another reviewer put it here), a little too "joo-joo" for me. Parts I liked, parts I highlighted, but a little too new-agey. I recommend it for someone (probably a younger woman) who is looking for inspiration to discover and realize her dreams.
December 31, 2017
Powerful book. It is definitely a book I would read again and use as a reference. Trent gave some real doable advice you could apply to your life. It was well written and I would definitely recommend this book to every woman. The book was encouraging and inspirational.
February 4, 2022
I liked listening to the book as the author narrated it. Her life is very compelling and would love her to write more of a biography. The lessons were okay and not very earth shattering, however if there is a companion journal or reminder card for the 10 rituals/ practices, that would be great.
July 25, 2017
Excellent
October 18, 2017
I really liked the stories in this book. Overall it was a great message. The writing was too preachy.
October 20, 2017
I didn't agree with everything. Though there were a few nuggets of information that encouraged and inspired me. Chapter 8 on friendships and sisterhood is awesome.
October 22, 2017
Omg, this book was POWERFUL! Amazing, and deep. A must read for every woman who wants to change her life for the better.
January 6, 2023
It’s a nice book, a story about defying all odds and reaching your goals, or as author puts it- sacred dreams.
December 2, 2017
** ARC provided by the author for an honest review **
Nominated for a 2017 NAACP Image Award, The Awakened Woman: Remembering & Reigniting Our Sacred Dreams by Dr. Tererai Trent is an inspiring and motivating manifesto written to encourage women to realize and achieve their dreams.
Through her personal experiences Tererai offers advice and suggestions on how to accomplish your dreams. Her amazing story of defying the odds and obtaining her goal of an education after life as a child bride in Zimbabwe, has led her to encourage other women to follow their sacred dreams too. Tererai, along with Oprah, has opened many schools for girls in the village of her birth hoping to spark the same desire in them to find and follow their dreams to fruition.
It is hard to say anything other than this book is an eye opening read that every woman, regardless of age, should take a chance on reading. There are so many life lessons and epiphanies to be had while reading. Tererai’s encouragement of self-love and to not wait for things to happen, but to make them happen, really drives home the fact that many women, from many different walks of life put others, especially family, before themselves and their own dreams.
I highly recommend this to everyone, but especially to any woman that feels stuck in her life, with unrealized dreams and goals. This is more than a self-help book, this is a woman’s very real story being offered as testament to what one can accomplish once they realize their own potential and follow through on their dreams. Five stars.
Nominated for a 2017 NAACP Image Award, The Awakened Woman: Remembering & Reigniting Our Sacred Dreams by Dr. Tererai Trent is an inspiring and motivating manifesto written to encourage women to realize and achieve their dreams.
Through her personal experiences Tererai offers advice and suggestions on how to accomplish your dreams. Her amazing story of defying the odds and obtaining her goal of an education after life as a child bride in Zimbabwe, has led her to encourage other women to follow their sacred dreams too. Tererai, along with Oprah, has opened many schools for girls in the village of her birth hoping to spark the same desire in them to find and follow their dreams to fruition.
It is hard to say anything other than this book is an eye opening read that every woman, regardless of age, should take a chance on reading. There are so many life lessons and epiphanies to be had while reading. Tererai’s encouragement of self-love and to not wait for things to happen, but to make them happen, really drives home the fact that many women, from many different walks of life put others, especially family, before themselves and their own dreams.
I highly recommend this to everyone, but especially to any woman that feels stuck in her life, with unrealized dreams and goals. This is more than a self-help book, this is a woman’s very real story being offered as testament to what one can accomplish once they realize their own potential and follow through on their dreams. Five stars.
February 1, 2024
I listened to this book because Jill Duggar mentioned it was a book that was very impactful to her through her process of healing, and as fascinated as I was about her personal journey, I was equally curious about the things that led her to that point.
The reason I enjoy biographies is that I truly believe actions and behaviors are a "symptom" of something else...something bigger. I'm intrigued by what "makes people tick" and love to here personal stories about how they became the people that we now know them to be.
You all probably know Oprah built a school for girls in Africa. You might not know the path that led her to that decision or who the woman is that inspired it. This is her story.
This books didn't captivate me personally as much as some others. It was definitely interesting to hear about her life and gain perspective on how another part of the world lives. There were moments of encouragement and this is written both as a memoir and a self-help type narrative.
Regardless, if you need a nudge to identify your purpose and some validation that it's worth pursuing, this book can offer that.
The reason I enjoy biographies is that I truly believe actions and behaviors are a "symptom" of something else...something bigger. I'm intrigued by what "makes people tick" and love to here personal stories about how they became the people that we now know them to be.
You all probably know Oprah built a school for girls in Africa. You might not know the path that led her to that decision or who the woman is that inspired it. This is her story.
This books didn't captivate me personally as much as some others. It was definitely interesting to hear about her life and gain perspective on how another part of the world lives. There were moments of encouragement and this is written both as a memoir and a self-help type narrative.
Regardless, if you need a nudge to identify your purpose and some validation that it's worth pursuing, this book can offer that.
September 11, 2020
I love how the author, Dr. Tererai Trent, calls all women her "sisters" throughout the book, specifying that she means all women of all races, ages, etc. I wish more women were like this. If we supported each other and lifted each other up more, what a difference that would make. I have seen too many women who get jealous, hate on someone who is doing better or turn their nose up at someone who expresses genuine happiness, if they, themselves, are unhappy. We are not in competition. She points this out too. I loved reading all her stories about how she grew up and the efforts she made to change the lives for so many. She is a very inspirational lady! I would recommend this book to any female. Whether you feel lost, completely loved, want change, even if you're a mean girl, etc. There's so much more out there we all need to learn. Of course I recommend this book to males as well. It doesn't hurt to learn about how many have struggled to get where they are. This is an inspirational book that I really enjoyed.
March 16, 2021
I found this book inspirational. Yes, such a cliched word, but really, I do. Dr Terrari Trent lived in the worst conditions in Zimbabwe - beaten by her husband for wanting an education and had no hope of even becoming anything but a mother and a wife from the age of 11. She’s now one of the biggest voices in quality education, a humanitarian, a motivational speaker and a PhD.
“Today we live in a society driven by the Little Hungers that overshadow our true happiness and stifle our self esteem. The voices that define, discourage, and silence us also propel us toward the “wants” of life that are shaped by the Little Hungers rather than the “needs” which are shaped by the Great Hunger.
There is a deep hunger that lies within us, waiting to be discovered. It is the innate, human hunger to support one another, though our material desires often mask it.”
Identify your Great Hunger, write down your dreams, visualise your future and commit to action.
“Today we live in a society driven by the Little Hungers that overshadow our true happiness and stifle our self esteem. The voices that define, discourage, and silence us also propel us toward the “wants” of life that are shaped by the Little Hungers rather than the “needs” which are shaped by the Great Hunger.
There is a deep hunger that lies within us, waiting to be discovered. It is the innate, human hunger to support one another, though our material desires often mask it.”
Identify your Great Hunger, write down your dreams, visualise your future and commit to action.
February 23, 2019
I first heard Tererai’s story when she was featured as a guest on a podcast I listened to fervently last year. That interview was what drew me to this book.
In essence, this book is a self-help book. She discusses her story - a beautiful and inspiring story, to say the least - in examples more in sequential autobiographical form. The “meat” of this book is more of a spiritual guidance heavy with African influence (which I appreciate, but is very very different to Western approaches to spirituality). Unfortunately it’s not what I was looking for. I got little more of Tererai’s story than what she’d mentioned in the podcast episode that introduced me to her. She is very inspiring, but if you want to know her story, most of what is in this book can be found through a quick Google search.
In essence, this book is a self-help book. She discusses her story - a beautiful and inspiring story, to say the least - in examples more in sequential autobiographical form. The “meat” of this book is more of a spiritual guidance heavy with African influence (which I appreciate, but is very very different to Western approaches to spirituality). Unfortunately it’s not what I was looking for. I got little more of Tererai’s story than what she’d mentioned in the podcast episode that introduced me to her. She is very inspiring, but if you want to know her story, most of what is in this book can be found through a quick Google search.
March 7, 2018
“There is a deeper hunger that lies within us, waiting to be discovered. It is the innate human hunger to support one another.”
–Dr. Tererai Trent
Book No. 05 of 2017
This was a fascinating read. Dr. Trent’s story is a journey from being a child bride to a doctor to giving back to her village in Zimbabwe through education, en route to accomplishing her five written dreams. This is part memoir, part exploration into scientific and spiritual ideas that are relevant to her story, part manifesto of global feminism, and a letter to her sisterhood.
In many ways, I was a bit outside the target audience, but I enjoyed it a lot. It definitely got quite esoteric at points, but it’s also one of the most quotable books I’ve read in some time.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
–Dr. Tererai Trent
Book No. 05 of 2017
This was a fascinating read. Dr. Trent’s story is a journey from being a child bride to a doctor to giving back to her village in Zimbabwe through education, en route to accomplishing her five written dreams. This is part memoir, part exploration into scientific and spiritual ideas that are relevant to her story, part manifesto of global feminism, and a letter to her sisterhood.
In many ways, I was a bit outside the target audience, but I enjoyed it a lot. It definitely got quite esoteric at points, but it’s also one of the most quotable books I’ve read in some time.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 2, 2024
There's some pretty good and helpful things in here. I especially love how Tererai is very forward in addressing western views and its tendency to act superior over African culture without understanding the African context, while simultaneously calling out the suppressive nature of African culture. she marries the west and African culture very well. Embracing some traditions, the femininity and uniqueness of womanhood celebrated in Africa with the independence, voice and power of women championed in the west. This balance seems to be the key to an awakened woman.
However I don't agree with her world view. She merges Pantheism with Polytheism throws in a little of Panentheism, its really everywhere and so its a no from me.
However I don't agree with her world view. She merges Pantheism with Polytheism throws in a little of Panentheism, its really everywhere and so its a no from me.
March 11, 2020
Tererai is a trailblazing torchbearer. I cannot justify putting this book into words.
What an inspiration! What an incredible woman! With the most healing of messages. This book will have a prime place inside my heart for the rest of my life. And I know I will turn to it many times in the span of that time. I am ululating, my fragile heart has re-awoken and Tererai has shown me the way through such beautiful wisdom - a bucket load.
(I am so grateful for synchronicity and that this book came into my life when it did!)
What an inspiration! What an incredible woman! With the most healing of messages. This book will have a prime place inside my heart for the rest of my life. And I know I will turn to it many times in the span of that time. I am ululating, my fragile heart has re-awoken and Tererai has shown me the way through such beautiful wisdom - a bucket load.
(I am so grateful for synchronicity and that this book came into my life when it did!)
October 10, 2021
The smile of Dr.Tererai Trent; on the cover page of this book made me to get a copy for myself. I went through the comments in goodread before buying.. mostly good reviews. As I owned a copy; I really took time to read every sentences in this book. At the end of this book, as Dr. Tererai mentioned I felt the connection between an author and me. Thank you. I would like to wish you joy, love and peace Dr. Tererai.
December 29, 2023
Es un libro con demasiadas sabidurías de una mujer, maltratada por el racismo y el clasismo nos habla sobre la resiliencia la superación que esta misma nos genera cuando tenemos fuerza y creemos en sí mismos cuando creemos con el corazón que los anhelos y los sueños se alcanzan....
Es bueno si quieres empoderarte, y sentirte identificada si has pasado por alguna situación en la que has pausado tus sueños de mujer, cuando no sabes hacia dónde hacerte y cómo volver a empezar...
Es bueno si quieres empoderarte, y sentirte identificada si has pasado por alguna situación en la que has pausado tus sueños de mujer, cuando no sabes hacia dónde hacerte y cómo volver a empezar...
May 28, 2019
The book was very inspirational! Her stories were so interesting to read, really putting you in her shoes. But a good amount of the book was repetitive. Phrases like “your dreams should be for the greater good” were written way too many times for my liking. But I know she uses repetition throughout her life to achieve her dreams, so it may be just a personal opinion.
December 11, 2019
One of the most inspiring and thought-provking books I've read this year. Will be writing a more detailed review once I've gone through my notes. I think the best part of this book was the activities at the end of each chapter. I wrote down my answers to most of them, and some of my biggest breakthroughs this year came from these reflections.
December 30, 2019
I had the pleasure of seeing Tererai Trent speak live at a women’s leadership conference this year. She is amazing! This book dives deeper into the topics she discussed in her speech. What she overcame in her life to be able to fulfill her dreams is incredible. We can achieve anything we set our hearts too. Sacred sisters unite!
April 27, 2020
There is no doubt this is a fantastic and inspiring story. Tererai is an absolutely amazing woman and I would love to meet her. But I did find this book hard to get through. I think it could’ve benefited from some editing.
Overall a great read though and fascinating to hear about Tererai and the journey towards fulfilling her sacred dreams.
Overall a great read though and fascinating to hear about Tererai and the journey towards fulfilling her sacred dreams.
June 14, 2021
For my beloved friend Francesca, who figured this out decades before I did. All my love to you. Keep being the amazing, blessed, blessing that you are. I know Vera is smiling down on us both as I write this with tears in my eyes and a smile on my heart.
All my love to all the Woke Women of the World.
All my love to all the Woke Women of the World.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews