What do you think?
Rate this book
Firstlight: The Early Inspirational Writings of Sue Monk Kidd
Draws largely from the author's early writings for "Guideposts," featuring inspirational stories and essays that reflect various aspects of Monk's early writing career and quest for spiritual awareness.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 5, 2006
33 people are currently reading
1811 people want to read
About the author
Sue Monk Kidd
52 books14k followersSue Monk Kidd was raised in the small town of Sylvester, Georgia, a place that deeply influenced the writing of her first novel The Secret Life of Bees. She graduated from Texas Christian University in 1970 and later took creative writing courses at Emory University and Anderson College, as well as studying at Sewanee, Bread Loaf, and other writers’ conferences. In 2016, TCU conferred on her an honorary doctor of letters degree. She was inducted into the South Carolina Academy of Authors in 2011 and into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame in 2022.
Her book When the Heart Waits, published by Harper San Francisco in 1990 has become a touchstone on contemplative spirituality. The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, also published by Harper in 1996, describes Kidd’s journey into feminist theology, a memoir that had a groundbreaking effect within religious circles.
When her first novel, The Secret Life of Bees, was published by Viking in 2002, it became a genuine literary phenomenon, spending more than 2½ years on the New York Times bestseller list. It has been translated into over 36 languages and sold more than 8 million copies worldwide. Bees was named the Book Sense Paperback Book of the Year in 2004, long-listed for the 2002 Orange Prize in England, and won numerous other awards. For over a decade, the novel was produced on stage by The American Place Theater, and in 2008 it was adapted into a movie by Fox Searchlight, which won the People’s Choice award for best movie and the NAACP Image award for best picture. An Off Broadway musical of Bees ran at The Atlantic Theater in 2019, winning the AUDELCO VIV award for best musical, and debuted in London at the Almeida Theater in 2023. The novel is taught widely in middle school, high school, and college classrooms.
Kidd’s second novel, The Mermaid Chair, has sold well over a million copies since its publication by Viking in 2005, reaching #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and remaining on the hardcover and paperback lists for nine months. Winner of the 2005 Quill Award for General Fiction, the novel was longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, translated into 28 languages, and made into a television movie by Lifetime.
The spiritual essays, meditations, and inspirational stories Kidd wrote in her thirties were collected into a single volume, Firstlight: The Early Inspiration Writings and published by Guideposts Books in 2006 and Penguin in 2007.
After traveling with her daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor, to sacred sites in Greece, Turkey, and France, Kidd and Taylor co-authored a memoir, Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story. Published by Viking in 2009, it appeared on numerous bestseller lists, including the New York Times list and has been published in several languages.
The Invention of Wings, Kidd’s third novel was published in 2014 by Viking. It debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list where it spent a total of 9 months. It has sold nearly 2 million copies and been translated into over 20 languages. The novel has won several literary awards, including the Florida Book of Year Award and the SIBA Book Award. It was a Goodreads Readers Choice Award runner up, nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award, and chosen for Oprah’s Book Club 2.0.
Kidd’s much anticipated fourth novel, The Book of Longings, was published on April 21, 2020 to widespread critical and reader acclaim. It immediately landed at the top of the bestseller lists, reaching #5 on The New York Times Hardcover Fiction list, #1 on the IndieBound bestseller list, and #2 on the Associated Press bestseller List. The novel was a finalist for Book-of-the-Month Club’s Book of the Year Award, a Goodreads Readers Choice Award runner up, a Heather’s Pick (Indigo Books) in Canada, and a Australian Women’s Day Great Read Pick. It has been translated into 17 languages thus far.
She lives in North Carolina with her husband, Sandy, and dog, Barney.
Her book When the Heart Waits, published by Harper San Francisco in 1990 has become a touchstone on contemplative spirituality. The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, also published by Harper in 1996, describes Kidd’s journey into feminist theology, a memoir that had a groundbreaking effect within religious circles.
When her first novel, The Secret Life of Bees, was published by Viking in 2002, it became a genuine literary phenomenon, spending more than 2½ years on the New York Times bestseller list. It has been translated into over 36 languages and sold more than 8 million copies worldwide. Bees was named the Book Sense Paperback Book of the Year in 2004, long-listed for the 2002 Orange Prize in England, and won numerous other awards. For over a decade, the novel was produced on stage by The American Place Theater, and in 2008 it was adapted into a movie by Fox Searchlight, which won the People’s Choice award for best movie and the NAACP Image award for best picture. An Off Broadway musical of Bees ran at The Atlantic Theater in 2019, winning the AUDELCO VIV award for best musical, and debuted in London at the Almeida Theater in 2023. The novel is taught widely in middle school, high school, and college classrooms.
Kidd’s second novel, The Mermaid Chair, has sold well over a million copies since its publication by Viking in 2005, reaching #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and remaining on the hardcover and paperback lists for nine months. Winner of the 2005 Quill Award for General Fiction, the novel was longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, translated into 28 languages, and made into a television movie by Lifetime.
The spiritual essays, meditations, and inspirational stories Kidd wrote in her thirties were collected into a single volume, Firstlight: The Early Inspiration Writings and published by Guideposts Books in 2006 and Penguin in 2007.
After traveling with her daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor, to sacred sites in Greece, Turkey, and France, Kidd and Taylor co-authored a memoir, Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story. Published by Viking in 2009, it appeared on numerous bestseller lists, including the New York Times list and has been published in several languages.
The Invention of Wings, Kidd’s third novel was published in 2014 by Viking. It debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list where it spent a total of 9 months. It has sold nearly 2 million copies and been translated into over 20 languages. The novel has won several literary awards, including the Florida Book of Year Award and the SIBA Book Award. It was a Goodreads Readers Choice Award runner up, nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award, and chosen for Oprah’s Book Club 2.0.
Kidd’s much anticipated fourth novel, The Book of Longings, was published on April 21, 2020 to widespread critical and reader acclaim. It immediately landed at the top of the bestseller lists, reaching #5 on The New York Times Hardcover Fiction list, #1 on the IndieBound bestseller list, and #2 on the Associated Press bestseller List. The novel was a finalist for Book-of-the-Month Club’s Book of the Year Award, a Goodreads Readers Choice Award runner up, a Heather’s Pick (Indigo Books) in Canada, and a Australian Women’s Day Great Read Pick. It has been translated into 17 languages thus far.
She lives in North Carolina with her husband, Sandy, and dog, Barney.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
September 30, 2009
This book was the breath of fresh air I've been needing for a long time. I love SMK's writing, especially her spiritual writings. This book is a compilation of all the short narratives she wrote for Guideposts when she was just starting out as a writer. I usually write down quotes that I love from books I'm reading, and I might as well have copied this whole book into my journal. The stories are inspiring, and insightful. She can take the simplest observation in an ordinary day and turn it into this profoud revelation. I cried over some of the stories, and I absolutely loved every single one.
August 27, 2013
I actually cried twice while reading this. Some of the stories were not as relevant to me, but obviously some really hit home! I love that I could read as many as I wanted and then put the book down and come back to the next few stories.
March 18, 2025
This is exactly what I needed to read this Lenten season. The essays brought me great solace.
August 19, 2022
So preachy without a story. I was very disappointed as I love Sue Monk Kidd’s books.
November 1, 2016
I needed something to soothe my soul and I found it. I picked up Firstlight at a used book sale and it sat on my nightstand for 15 months. I started reading it because I needed short, well-writte bursts of insight and inspiration. I liked Sue Monk Kidd's Secret Life of Bees and it is one of the few books that I began rereading as soon as I completed it. While it might be argued that her writing is too sweet, at times, there is a grit and reality that is always there.
Firstlight is early non fiction and covers the time in her life when she changed her career from nursing to writing. I had no idea she came to writing as a full grown woman, a wife, a mom, and a nurse. She writes about jack-hammering away the layers of her that weren't her true self to come to be the writer she is. Along the way she began a contemplative, meditative practice, looked more into her Christian faith, and other beliefs, and became known for her honoring of feminine mysticism.
Needless to say some friends and family questioned what she was doing with her life.
She writes: "Somehow, as a young woman with a husband, two children, dog, a demanding career, a busy social life, and endless church activities, I stumbled headlong upon a contemplative path." We have benefited much because she did.
Firstlight is early non fiction and covers the time in her life when she changed her career from nursing to writing. I had no idea she came to writing as a full grown woman, a wife, a mom, and a nurse. She writes about jack-hammering away the layers of her that weren't her true self to come to be the writer she is. Along the way she began a contemplative, meditative practice, looked more into her Christian faith, and other beliefs, and became known for her honoring of feminine mysticism.
Needless to say some friends and family questioned what she was doing with her life.
She writes: "Somehow, as a young woman with a husband, two children, dog, a demanding career, a busy social life, and endless church activities, I stumbled headlong upon a contemplative path." We have benefited much because she did.
March 10, 2014
_Firstlight_ is a collection of essays written by Kidd, grouped by topic rather than chronology, and even within each topic the essays aren't arranged in chronological order. The author reveals different moments in her personal growth as a spiritual person in a very accessible, vulnerable way. Kidd writes from a Christian background, I believe Episcopalian. She is an incredibly poetic and visual writer - I'd read just about anything by her on any topic just to hear her words fall like music inside my head. Because the book is a series of short essays, it's very easy to pick up and put down as one feel moved to read something contemplative (exactly how I read it). I read it cover-to-cover, but it could easily be read by finding the chapter on the topic that interests you, and randomly opening a page within that chapter.
October 21, 2012
Having read Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, I wasn't sure what to expect in her memoir, but I read it after a friend gifted me with it and was delighted by its beautiful prose. The book not only gave me insight into Kidd's personal life as she grew up in the South where she raised a family, worked as a nurse, found a personal connection to her Christian values, and became an award winning writer, but it made me reflect on the things that truly matter. Firstlight is heart warming and inspirational. One I recommend to fellow writers and friends alike.
March 14, 2014
I usually find myself shying away from story collections but this one has become a particular favorite of mine. I listened to the audio version of this book which is a collection of 4 cd's. I found myself so moved, and at times enlightened, that I chose to start each cd over to listen to them a second time. Sue Monk Kidd's way of really seeing the lessons in the small glimpses of everyday life has made me more observant in my own daily life. Now it is up to me to continue that mindful observance.
January 11, 2014
I really like Sue Monk Kidd's novels, so I've wanted to read this collection of her early writing (mostly from articles in Guideposts magazine). I had a hard time with this book, mostly because it was poorly edited, I think. Each chapter or "theme" contains snippets from many different articles, which are sort of related but jump around way too much. I liked and related to many of the stories she told to illustrate her points, but I just couldn't get past the jumbled feel of the collection.
March 23, 2018
An odd book, collecting Kidd’s early spiritual reflections from Guideposts magazine. Each chapter holds to a loose theme, with numerous short stories, reflections and vignettes on the theme. Some reflections were insightful, beautifully written and interesting. Other reflections were over-thought, preachy, and immature.
Kidd’s thoughts inspired me to look at the world differently and to perhaps do a little writing of my own.I particularly enjoyed her thoughts on motherhood and parenting.
Kidd’s thoughts inspired me to look at the world differently and to perhaps do a little writing of my own.I particularly enjoyed her thoughts on motherhood and parenting.
July 11, 2015
Beautiful compilation of finding God in the everyday... This is one of those books that I continue to think about on a daily basis
July 19, 2021
I gave this book to my mom years ago - it still had the bookmark I made for her tucked in the pages. Kidd’s prose that detail her observations about life touch my heart. I enjoyed the essay about helping her son pack for college - and the ones about the difficulties in parenting. She is one of my favorite authors.
February 10, 2025
The golden magnifying glass that SMK gazes through in life is a blessing to behold. Her stories and reflections will stick with me for a long time.
—
"When suffering is shared, the weight is divided. And when joy is shared, the delight is multiplied. We need each other."
"Shining in her eyes was the growth, strength, and beauty that comes from having loved with one's whole heart. I felt then what l'd always wanted to believe. Love is more joyful than the hurt is painful. It is always worth the risk of loving."
"In the slow, delicate layering [of the soull, there are necessary places of waiting, incubation, and integration.
Within these things lies the holiness of non-doing."
"Ultimately, we are reborn to love because in this expanding, gracious space within us, we arrive at the astonishing presence of God at the core of our life.
We blunder into the heart of God and find our own."
—
"When suffering is shared, the weight is divided. And when joy is shared, the delight is multiplied. We need each other."
"Shining in her eyes was the growth, strength, and beauty that comes from having loved with one's whole heart. I felt then what l'd always wanted to believe. Love is more joyful than the hurt is painful. It is always worth the risk of loving."
"In the slow, delicate layering [of the soull, there are necessary places of waiting, incubation, and integration.
Within these things lies the holiness of non-doing."
"Ultimately, we are reborn to love because in this expanding, gracious space within us, we arrive at the astonishing presence of God at the core of our life.
We blunder into the heart of God and find our own."
December 21, 2018
"I ponder the seasons of love in a life, knowing that there is a time to hold on and a time to let go, a time to tag along and a time to wave goodbye."
I am not much for short stories, this book did not find me in the right season. It just didn't fit where I am right now.
I am not much for short stories, this book did not find me in the right season. It just didn't fit where I am right now.
September 20, 2014
It is amazing book about finding the 'still small voice' inside her. Sue bases this book on her own l family life. She is able to see God everywhere in everyone. This quote is an example of the simplicity and compassion in her descriptive writing prose: "I have one of those wooden Russian nesting dolls. If you open her up, you find another doll inside, and if you open that one up, you will find still another doll. In fact you can keep opening until you have nine separate dolls standing in a row, each one complete and individual, each able to stand on her own. And yes, there is not a moment when I look at them unaware that these dolls are a part of the whole, that the all belong together. They are separate, yes, but they are also inseparable.
I believe the human family, and indeed all creation is fashioned something like that nesting doll. Each part if unique and independent, but nevertheless inextricably linked, ever belonging to the larger whole. We We contain the other and are ourselves contained."
I believe the human family, and indeed all creation is fashioned something like that nesting doll. Each part if unique and independent, but nevertheless inextricably linked, ever belonging to the larger whole. We We contain the other and are ourselves contained."
January 15, 2010
I borrowed this from my mom and I'm not sure I want to give it back. I find Kidd's spiritual writing to be moving, on target and very helpful. I want to sit down with her and have a long conversation. She is so honest about where she is in her life - I want to be that honest. I also wish I could write like Monk.
These essays were mostly published in Guideposts long before Monk became a famous novelist. She has gone back and edited them a bit, but it appears Monk has always been a good writer.
She covers 13 topics including grace, silence and compassion. I know that I will be revisiting this book for more inspiration.
These essays were mostly published in Guideposts long before Monk became a famous novelist. She has gone back and edited them a bit, but it appears Monk has always been a good writer.
She covers 13 topics including grace, silence and compassion. I know that I will be revisiting this book for more inspiration.
Currently reading
August 22, 2007Sue Monk Kidd is awesome. I love her fiction writings, and her nonfiction/theology is also wonderful. She addresses the issue of what it means to be female and Christian--what is unique and beautiful and important about that experience. Firstlight is a collection of her earliest writings (when she wrote for Guideposts). What makes her writings so beautiful is that they all touch on the small, subtle ways that God reveals Godself to her in her daily life, and her journey to discovering and rediscovering herself as a child of God. Ah...the Sacred in the Ordinary... Mmm-hmmm... good stuff.
January 23, 2016
This book is a warm blanket in which I wanted to wrap myself, a house in which I wanted to dwell. It's safe and comfortable and perfect for a winter's eve by the fire. It's the right balance of story and moral (though, beware, every story she tells has deeper meaning than what you see on the surface, so if you're not into that sort of thing...). It's the right balance of telling and inspiring insight, and makes me feel like I'm learning life's lessons alongside the author. It also inspires me to write more, much like Madeleine L'Engle's writings do for me.
July 26, 2008
I listened to this audio book while driving, as the short inspirational essays were perfect for short distances. Although a bit too theological for my taste, Sue Monk Kidd had interesting insights on life, family life in particular. Delivered in a southern accent, these essays reminded me of certain southern family values. While I loved The Secret Life of Bees, wonderful southern fiction, I don't think I would have much cared for this book had I read it rather than listened to it.
October 2, 2010
It was just okay for me. A bunch of short stories about people's life finding inspiration. Although, some stories were okay it didn't have much of the lesson's of life I guess I was looking for. Just seemed like alot of places where it came across this happened and this happened but not what they really got out of the lesson. Hard to explain what I'm trying to convey here. So I'll just let it go as it's okay but not life changing.
May 27, 2011
This is the best thing I've read/listened to in a while. Kidd has transformed my commute into holy ground with her early writings of everyday spirituality. Citing favored theologians such as Anthony de Mello and Helen Prejean, she weaves her common events into contemplative moments.
This book is incredibly relate-able and calls for reflection. Thank you, Sue Monk Kidd for so honestly giving us a window into your young soul!
One of my most favorite spiritual works!
This book is incredibly relate-able and calls for reflection. Thank you, Sue Monk Kidd for so honestly giving us a window into your young soul!
One of my most favorite spiritual works!
June 9, 2011
I chose this as an audiobook because I liked her book, The Secret Lives of Bees, and I was looking for a book at at time that I was getting ready to go see Mom and Dad and was pretty stressed out about decisions regarding them. I thought it might be helpful to calm my nerves, and if I didn't like her approach, I also selected another book. I did listen to it and for the most part, it did provide the calming I needed!
June 14, 2011
A loyal fan of Sue Monk Kidd's novels, I hadn't known she began her writing career submitting things to "Guideposts" magazine. While I find the magazine to generally be a bit emotionaloly manipulative, there was little in FIRSTLIGHT that evoked that reaction in me. FIRSTLIGHT is an enjoyable, quick read, and carries the rich, descriptive language characteristic of Ms Kidd. I especially appreciated all the book tells about her and her contemplative way of life.
October 12, 2013
This book was wonderful! I found myself relating to much of what SMK was writing about. It's nice to know that we all have a connection in life of circumstances, questions, love and living. As one woman to another, our rites of passage enter twine, and what one is currently going through, another is yet to imagine.
Great writing which kept my attention. I'm sorry the book has ended and I have to return it to my Mother. This is a book I could revisit many times. Kudos to Sue Monk Kidd.
Great writing which kept my attention. I'm sorry the book has ended and I have to return it to my Mother. This is a book I could revisit many times. Kudos to Sue Monk Kidd.
July 23, 2014
This is a portion of the review I wrote for my blog: http://www.nestintheforest.com/first-...
This book was an unexpected find for me - one of those books that "fell off the shelf" maybe about 8 or 10 years ago. But I still remember it for its impact on me at that time, when I was abruptly spiritually awakened by a metaphorical splash of cold water, and then was getting drenched in an ocean of revelations.
This book was an unexpected find for me - one of those books that "fell off the shelf" maybe about 8 or 10 years ago. But I still remember it for its impact on me at that time, when I was abruptly spiritually awakened by a metaphorical splash of cold water, and then was getting drenched in an ocean of revelations.
July 11, 2008
This book was a delightful read. Each chapter covers a philosphical or religious concept. Ms. Kidd orginally wrote the essays in this book for GuidePost magazine. I marked my favorite passages to reread, and I almost NEVER do that.
I would recommend this book as a gift for anyone at any stage of life.
I would recommend this book as a gift for anyone at any stage of life.
October 15, 2015
This is a wonderful little book that can be read in short doses or all at once. Spirituaity is a favorite theme for my reading and Kidd's lovely prose taken from her early writings did not disappoint. This is not a book of theology, but a book about a young woman searching for meaning and a real relationship with God and creation.
July 22, 2017
I listened to this book on CD and couldn't stop listening. It is really a book that needs to be read, like a devotional, bit by bit, piece by piece. I loved it so much I have ordered a copy for a dear friend. I'm not a big fan of Guidepost, but am a big fan of Sue Monk Kidd. She has a beautiful way with words and has some wonderful "guidelights" to share.
March 14, 2018
Some early stories and essays written by the bestselling author on self and her spiritual thinking. The stories reflect on her roles as wife, mother, daughter, nurse, and artist; and assesses what she has learned in settings from far-away places like Africa and from her own life and home. Many uplifting thoughts about life and how we are to behave towards others.
August 3, 2007
I love beautiful writers and I'm a sucker for anything that receives a starred review in PW. Sue Monk Kidd has a way of painting with her words, especially in this book. These were all stories that appeared in Guideposts.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews