A Voice Becoming: A Yearlong Mother-Daughter Journey into Passionate, Purposed Living

by Beth Bruno

A VOICE BECOMING guides moms in crafting a yearlong journey to lift their daughters' eyes out of the era of teendom, with delayed responsibilities and an obsession with bodies, boys, and besties, and instead cast a vision for who they were created to be. What if you as a mother concentrated on your daughter for one year? Who might she become? A VOICE BECOMING is for moms who want to usher their daughters into womanhood but know they need more than tips, techniques, and programs. This is for moms who to desire to chart a course for their daughters that helps them know the story of God they are entering and the global sisterhood of women they are joining. A VOICE BECOMING is written by a fellow sojourner, still in the middle of the journey, processing her own story as she casts a vision for her daughter to discover hers. Sometimes road maps are too restrictive and a friend is needed who has made the journey already. Beth Bruno seeks to activate moms by infusing them with hope and vision. Readers will join Beth in a yearlong journey of teaching their daughters that women lead, women love, women fight, women sacrifice, and women create. Moms learn how to use film and books, tangible experiences, volunteering, interviewing other women, traveling, and more in a creative and life-altering way to help solidify these important concepts in the mind and life of their young teen.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Christian Non Fiction, Christian, Faith, Memoir

224 pages, Hardcover

Published January 16, 2018

About the author

Beth's writing has appeared at Today's Christian Woman, Relevant, The Well, Mudroom, Thrive, and Red Tent Living. She is a regular contributor to Red Tent Living.

Beth holds a BA from Northwestern University in Social Policy and an MA from Northwest University in International Community Development.

She lives in Colorado with her 3 kids and husband of 29 years and can be found at www.fierceandlovely.org.

Reviews

[Dorothy Greco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many other cultures around the world are much more thoughtful than Americans about celebrating rites of passages with their sons and daughters. Bruno hopes to change that. Rather than doing a simple, one-size-fits-all event, Beth crafted an entire year of personal, unique activities that served as a bridge for her daughter Ella. A Voice Becoming is not meant to be a fixed template for us to imitate but rather an idea meant to spark our own imagination. It is unabashedly and appropriately spiritual in nature.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize how powerful "A Voice Becoming" was until I was describing it to a friend and got teary thinking about the importance of intentionality as a parent. Even though my daughters are at least five years away from this discussion, I'm glad I read Beth Bruno's book now. I'll be thinking about and preparing for our own year of becoming.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks, Beth Bruno, for this creative and practical and even transforming challenge to help an emerging young woman "find her voice" and discover who God made her to be and what he created her to do. My girls are grown with children of their own now, but I am using your ideas to seek to help a teen I am discipling discern her voice.

[Sarah Pascual · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some great ideas in here and it definitely provoked some thoughts around helping to shape and form our teen/tween daughters.

[Alyson Hershelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot to chew on. I’ll have to reread and annotate. This all feels overwhelming but a worthy endeavor.

[Kristen Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many visionary (where am I headed and where is my daughter headed?) and practical insights. I, personally, was enriched when she spoke of the drama of teenage girls, that the drama about relationships may be passion gone askew. Helping daughters discover their passions will help them focus any energy in a direction that is helpful and enriching (rather than full of drama and hurt). Thankful for this book!

[Monica H (TeaandBooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Voice Becoming by Beth Bruno is a book designed to plan a year of coming of age for young women guided by their moms and other older women into living a life of purpose and meaning. I read A Voice Becoming with a sort of awe and I wondered what my life would have looked like if I had had this type of guidance and female role models.


A Voice Becoming is divided into three parts: The Art of Becoming Starts with Mom, A Scaffolding of Womanhood for Girls, and A Life Becoming. Throughout the book, Bruno shares her story, as well as the story of her family and her daughter, as they spent a year guiding one of her daughters into womanhood through a year of learning through experiences, discussions, and special events. Bruno set up a general plan for how their year would go and also tells you how you could guide a young woman of your own, while allowing room for personality differences to make the year special for any young woman. Bruno shares in the book that many cultures have coming of age rituals and ceremonies but our culture lacks that sort of ritual and leaves our young people without the guidance that could help them become women of purpose. Bruno also has appendices in the back to provide practical guidance to make the year truly a special year of learning and growing. She also offers advice geared to parents as they consider their budgets, hands-on planning charts, resource ideas and more. There are also questions at the end of each chapter to help moms (or other female leaders) to think about their own story and how they can guide a young woman into developing her voice and learning how to make a difference.


I feel it is only fair to admit up front that I do not have a daughter so I cannot apply everything in A Voice Becoming. However, I am an Aunt and a mid-life woman who would like to see our young women (and men) succeed and make a difference in our world today. I gave this book 5 stars because I believe Bruno presents a clear guide on how to help young women to find their voice and realize their purpose in life. I also believe I am an influencer with my family members and friends and can recommend this book to them and possibly change the life of a young person. I could see where the timing of this type of guided coming-of-age year could make a real difference in the life of a daughter. I am also the mom of a boy. Bruno shares how they did a similar year for their son, so the book's guidance could also be used for men to create a year of growth with boys and she shares how they did it with their son in this book too. I would encourage moms (and grandmoms, and aunts, and older women who influence younger women) to read the book and consider how they can encourage the younger generation to find their voice and make a difference.


I received A Voice Becoming from FaithWords/Hachette Book Group. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for the book.

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

Are you raising a young woman and overwhelmed with how quickly they become susceptible to outside forces trying to hijack their mind, heart, and soul? In A Voice Becoming, Beth Bruno offers her readers a journey in which she and her teenage daughter take on a year of Becoming.

“There is too much heartache in the world for her voice to not be heard and too much glory in her soul to not be unleashed.” – Beth Bruno, A Voice Becoming

Most of us have Quinceañeras, Sweet 16’s, or a celebration to present to the world that we have become women. At the root of these celebrations was the chance to tell the culture that we were “ready” to be women and all that this brings with it. I’m so grateful to Bruno and her authentic voice and challenge to bring a year of Becoming to the forefront by challenging purity culture, and dismantling the church hurts which have enslaved our teenager girls.

“Too many rites of passage models recreate the cages from which girls have already been freed. Honestly, I have no desire to create a model at all. I want to create a conversation, a way of thinking, a new paradigm of being rather than another prescription for Christian parent to follow.” – Beth Bruno, A Voice Becoming

Bruno will challenge your perception of raising a teenage girl in our current culture. Unlike other Christian books that instruct women on how to raise a teenage girl, A Voice Becoming guides mothers alongside their daughters with a biblical and realistic approach. I’m so grateful I own this book.

I dare you to become an advocate for your daughter. Pick up A Voice Becoming today!

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book made me feel guilty and completely inadequate as a mother and a person. I feel like Beth and Chris have created the Man Year and the mother-daughter year which seem very noble, but are difficult to do for a full time working family and children who don't fit into the same box that the Bruno's kids fit into.

I struggled with the material. I got tired of some of the cliched terminology ("wrecking my daughter" and "bodies, boys and besties"). I feel there were some useful resources (books and videos), but they all revolved around Beth's passion and activist cause, and left me feeling as if my path is too secular, and I have failed in raising my kids. This is something I struggle with often, since beginning working full time, and this book made me feel even more guilty.

The one thing that I found challenging in a good way, was to do some thinking about what I am passionate about, work-wise and also with my free time. What are things that I feel excited about, that I would enjoy giving of my time?

[RD · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Pastor and a mom of three daughters, I was excited to dig into this book. It felt as if it was designed specifically for us. Often, it can be a challenge to connect spiritually as your daughter starts to learn her faith on her own. This book is an excellent resource, filled with practical and tangible ideas to connect together and encourage our daughters in their pursuit of their own relationship with God. Highly recommend!

[Shelly Wildman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entering the teen years can be tenuous for a girl . . . and her parents. Here, Beth Bruno offers encouragement for mothers who want their daughters to experience more. More life. More freedom. More love. Through a year-long guide using books, movies, and activities, parents will help lead their daughters to become more the young woman God wants them to be.

[Alysa Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an OUTSTANDING book, one that I think all parents with girls should read. Beth is a gifted writer, casting a beautiful vision for calling our daughters to be who God called them to be. I highly HIGHLY recommend this book.

[Melanie Hardacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Alternative to the typical stuff for your developing daughter about puberty, purity, etc. Really asking ourselves who we want our daughters to grow up to be as women created by God to reflect his image. Creating intentional lessons and experiences to help them become.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the overall ideas shared in this book. I am so excited to create an experience for my daughters, whether they are as succinct and intentionally planned into a timeline as this or not.
I struggle with some of what she wrote; I disagreed with some things very clearly, was unsure about some, and definitely agreed with others. It left me sitting a bit unsure for a while, but by the end I know there’s a bit of “chew and spit” happening - I’ll take the good and reject the bad. The things I’m not sure about will be molded to be things I know to be good or rejected as bad.
Generally I recommend, with the caveat that if you aren’t solid on what is good and true, you maybe should find a different resource, or read it alongside someone who is.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful guide for leading daughters into passionate and purposed living. I love Beth Bruno’s call to join a global sisterhood of women leading and loving in the name of Christ. The template for the year of becoming is framed around God’s questions to Hagar: Where have you come from and where are you going? Helping the young women in your life hear the voice of Christ in themselves, sift through their gifts and abilities, and join strong women in that journey is a great gift for everyone involved. The beauty of a voice becoming is immeasurable and this is a needed roadmap to guide.

[Amy Ingalls · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway. I am not religious but I loved the intentionality that Beth Bruno brought to this process. I have 3 daughters and during their teenage years I tried to expose them to strong women and to have these conversations with them, but never thought of planning out and giving a name to this rite of passage. Anything that helps to boost up a girl's self esteem and help her to realize her strength and importance is needed more than ever.

[Robin Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for mothers or mother figures, grandmothers of tweens and young teens. Lots if thoughtful ideas about how to launch a young woman and many great insights into mothering/being a woman in this season

[Morgan Tyree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beth is a beautiful writer. I am going to embark on the journey with my daughter and I can't wait to have this special time with her. Thank you Beth for being a champion of women and the sisterhood.

[Bekah Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a helpful resource!

[LA · Rating 1 out of 5]

Beth Bruno writes with such passion and emotion that it’s easy to see why this book has close to 60 positive reviews on Amazon already. The stories that she shares are written with conviction and so much colour that it’s easy to get carried away in the story – she`s an excellent storyteller. Her writing style is more conversational which makes for an easy read. The book includes worksheets and questions to get the reader thinking about how she can prepare a similar journey for her own daughter(s).
If I could be satisfied with all of the above positives, this review would merit five stars for sure.
However, I can’t in good conscience recommend this book to anyone.
For a book about casting a Godly vision for your daughter, there is a lack of biblical text, and biblical examples to support this, and other concepts. Instead, extra-biblical and secular resources (i.e. works by Brené Brown), are heavily drawn from to support the idea of a “rite of passage” and proponents that go along with it. Some works by other authors quoted are controversial at best (i.e. Sarah Bessey)
There are several flags waving in the first chapters alone. Phrases like, “loving ourselves” (p 30) are disconcerting and are given as a warning in the Bible (2 Tim. 3:2); as well as “God wants her in all the ways he wanted Hagar, Rahab, Mary, Joan of Arc, Corrie ten Boom, and Mother Teresa” (p. 40 – Joan of Arc and Mother Teresa are questionable as to their relationship to God, and their beliefs as recorded in history do not line up with sound biblical teaching); wanting her (the author) daughter to experience “the hamam” (related to ritualistic purification in Islam) (p41); “Hagar is not the first to whisper to my soul: Beth, what is your story?” (p. 52 – concerning that the author hears questions from historical figures); “Our daughters need us to bless the past so that they can freely answer God’s question, “Where are you going?”” (p. 54 – blessing the past is a New Age/Meditative practice that uses positive energy in the present to ‘bless’ past events to aid in healing past hurts/abuses); “Sure, the Lord sees, but her strength propelled her back.” (p. 56 – it wasn’t Hagar’s strength that sent her back to Sarah, it was the LORD telling her to go back; Gen. 16:9-13).
Another red flag raised is the author’s request in heaven. It’s bordering on pagan practice, and not a true picture of heaven as clearly defined in the Bible. The request is to have a drum circle around a fire pit with women sharing stories in a common language, showing that “the beauty of women reflecting God is everywhere.” (p. 34 - Drum circles are used in shamanism, in indigenous pow-wows which is a ceremony to celebrate Mother Earth and to become one with her, are used in spirit healing, and are used to form group consciousness).. There are too many examples to continue to list.
Each chapter ends with a series of questions to think about before beginning the year long journey. Chapters 1 and 2 end with reflective questions that are of a personal nature. Part One ends with a question, “If you haven’t yet named the places and times in your story in which God saw, would you do so now?” The Bible is clear - God sees EVERYTHING, ALL THE TIME. There is nothing hid from Him. (Psalm 139:7-16; Job 23:10).
I do believe that we need to be more diligent in teaching our daughters how to be women of God and putting Him first in their lives, but I don't believe that way to accomplish this is the way A Voice Becoming advocates.
I received an ecopy of the book from the publisher through Net Galley. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Voice Becoming is a good book if you have daughters entering their preteen to teenager years. There are scriptures and lesson plans with each chapter. It personally didn't relate to me, as my daughters are young women. I did, however, enjoy the book.
I received a complimentary copy for my personal review.