Holding Space

November 15, 2017
As a young girl, Glenn wrote a fan letter to a favorite Christian author. When the author learned that Glenn was Mormon, she wrote an excoriating reply. Startled, Glenn was marked by the experience and began exploring other religions. This process of letting go was a death of sorts, as was letting go of a relationship with an angry, mentally ill mother. As she writes of her father's terminal illness and the losses of wanted pregnancies, Glenn invites readers to accept the inevitabilities of pain and death in a way that is heart-soothing and hopeful. Trained as both a chaplain and a doula, Glenn explores how both roles have taught her to hold space by being present for the big events in people's lives. Holding space means to walk alongside others, especially in times of pain or difficulty; to be there without trying to influence any outcomes, interpret feelings, or dodge the grief that must be experienced for healing to begin. Part memoir, part spiritual exploration, this also includes an author interview and many helpful resources.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)