My Two Cents On “I Left My Religion” Memoirs

I'm in an interesting season right now. I am undergoing a LOT of changes in my life, both logistically and spiritually. I'll write more about all that once I know which end of me is up.

Lately I've been drawn to memoirs written by people who made significant changes in their belief system, whether that meant joining a religion or leaving one. I think that's because I understand where people on both sides are coming from. Joining or leaving a religion is a big decision, and if you're going about it wisely, it's not something that happens overnight.

I don't have an opinion on the genre as a whole, for the record. I can't say I like or hate all “I left my religion” memoirs any more than I could say I love or hate all fiction books. I've read some memoirs that are very gracious and well-written, and others where the author clearly meant it as an attack on their previous religion and the people who still believe in it.

There are two important things we have to understand about “I Left My Religion” memoirs:

1.) Those of us who joined a religion later on in life are in the same boat, in a way, because we traded in one belief system for another. Even if you did not “grow up religious”, you grew up with a set of beliefs about the world. If you joined a different religion, you probably rejected at least some of the beliefs you grew up with. If you are spiritually healthy, your beliefs will evolve over time, even if they don't drastically change. So I would caution anyone who has issues with “I left my religion” memoirs in general not to turn it into an “us versus them” thing.

2.) Whether or not an “I left my religion” memoir is positive or not depends on who the author claims is responsible for their wounds. The more negative authors tend to blame their ex-religion as a whole, as opposed to naming abusive behaviors and situations such as mind control, abuse, and cults. These are situations that can happen in any belief system, and it's possible to call them for what they are without attacking a specific religion or particular people.

Feel free to share your experience with “I left my religion” memoirs or “I joined a different religion” memoirs! I've love to hear what you all have to say!

Nonfiction Book List, Summer 2013

Here’s a list of the best non-fiction books I’ve read in the past several months.

1.)  Escape by Carolyn Jessop

This is the true story of a woman who was born into a Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints community and escaped with her eight children in 2003.

2.)  Triumph by Carolyn Jessop

The sequel to Escape.  Ms. Jessop gives her account of life after the escape, her experiences with the social welfare system, and her oldest daughter’s decision to return to the FLDS.  These books were amazingly well-written, to say the least.

3.)  Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

A graphic novel about growing up in Iran during the Islamic revolution in the 70’s.  I’d never read any graphic novels, so this was an interesting experience.  (Some parts are a bit on the R-rated side, so I don’t recommend this book for kids or teenagers.)  It was made into an animated French film, which was also really good. 

4.)  Quiet by Susan Cain

Susan Cain delves into the power of introverts in life and in the workplace.  Everyone should read this book, but if you are an innie or married to an innie, you especially need to read it.

5.)  Between Two Worlds:  The Inner Lives of Children of Divorce by Elizabeth Marquardt

This book really spoke to my experience as a divorce kid.  I highly recommend it for DK’s, divorced parents, and anyone who works with DK’s and/or divorced parents.

Book List for Grades 3-5

Here is my list for grades 3-5.  The carpal tunnel isn’t nearly as bad as when I wrote the first book list, so I was able to add descriptions for these books.

-Falcon’s Egg by Luli Gray

A fun fantasy story about a girl who finds an egg in the park.  My third grade teacher read this to my class and I fell in love with it.

-The Night Crossing by Karen Ackerman

I first came across this book when I was in fourth grade.  This is a great book for educating this age group on the Holocaust.  This book would probably be a bit frightening for younger elementary students, but for older elementary grades I’d say it strikes a good balance between expressing the danger of the situation and not being too graphic for children. 

-Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

Another book that was introduced to me in fourth grade when our teacher read it to the class.  Peter Hatcher is a character that pre-teen age readers will identify with.  Told in first person, Peter gives his account of navigating through fourth grade while coping with his pesky younger brother.

-Superfudge by Judy Blume

The sequel to Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.  I remember I got it from the school library and read the whole thing in one day.  Peter takes on sixth grade and adolescence while adjusting moving and having a new baby in the house.  Fudge is now the middle child, and he’s still finding plenty of ways to get into trouble!

I know my first two book lists have been a bit on the sparse side, but I’m coming up with lots more for the older grades, so sit tight!

Book List for Grades 1-3

I absolutely LOVE children’s books, so I have no idea why I didn’t think of making and sharing book lists sooner.  I'm working on a few different pieces of lists for different age groups all the way up to high school.  I'll post the lists as I finish them.

Kati’s book list for Grades 1-3:

1.)  “Ramona the Pest” by Beverly Cleary

2.)  “Ramona the Brave” by Beverly Cleary

3.)  Anything by Beverly Cleary

4.)  Russel Sprouts by Joanna Hurwitz

5.)  Russel and Eliza by Joanna Hurwitz

I’m deliberately keeping this list short, partly because I could go on forever if you let me, and partly because I’m exhausted and I’m currently getting my butt handed to me by carpal tunnel syndrome.  If you have any favorites, feel free to leave them in the comments section!