Chasing Grace : Reflections of a Catholic Girl, Grown Up

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Summary: A marvelous author, another amazing book!
Review: If you've ever tried to grow up, Catholic or not, this book is worth reading. Martha Manning is a witty, insightful, charming author who makes you feel that she sat down and wrote every word in this delightful book in about an hour. Her style is almost whimsical but with her solid base in reality, with no pretense, she takes us on a hilarious and touching journey through her childhood, and her life. I almost called in sick to work so that I could keep reading!

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Summary: Life as Sacrament
Review: Martha Manning not only writes a delightfully charming and hilarious account of her Catholic girlhood, she also, and more importantly, connects adult life experiences with acramental spirituality. Relating real life experiences in the context of each of the 7 Sacraments celebrated in the Catholic Church, she gives a tangible reality to spirituality and explores life as a place where one encounters the living presence of God. It is obvious that for Ms. Manning, all of life is sacred and sacraments are to be lived - not just as ritual moments, but as the very fabric of everyday experience. This is a gem.

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Summary: Absolutely Delightful
Review: Not being Catholic, I was afraid when I picked this book up that parts would be over my head. However, Manning does an exceptional job of describing Catholic rites without getting bogged down in the explaination. I thought this book was touching and hysterical at the same time and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone, even non-Catholics, who is interested in the religion.

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Summary: Pay no attention to the Kirkus review of this book
Review: The review by Kirkus Reviews of Chasing Grace shows a completemisunderstanding of the book. The reviewer states: "Her textseems like the record of a pleasurable, meandering conversation exchanging anecdotes about their childhood than a measured, reflective study." Maybe that's because it was a conversation about childhood, not a study of the Catholic Church. I was wary of this book. I thought that it might be a "I survived Catholicism" Catholic-bashing type book. I was pleasantly surprised. This book is about a woman's journey from childhood to adulthood. It is centered by experiences with her religion. That makes perfect sense because the seven sacraments are rites of passage for Catholics. To be sure she did have some horror stories to tell about her experiences in the Pre-Vatican II church, but she seems to have learned that The Church is populated by people - and people fail. Those wretched nuns she described did fail the church and maybe the church failed them. But, as anyone who knows anything about the Catholic Church, the Church has made such progress. Manning seems to recognize that. Or at least forgive the Church for it's transgressions. She sees past the human failings of the Church and sees the grace within. END

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Delightful
Review: This book was so reader friendly and wonderful. It is so much about growing up catholic and the disasters of all of it. Martha Manning writes in such an accessible way. You can hear her loud and clear. Some chapters had me laughing out loud. The chapter which describes her first holy communion is worth the price of the book alone. It was such a fun book to read, I found myself nodding my head yes, yes to so many things that she wrote. I read "undercurrents" and that was equally wonderful, but in a different way. I recommend this book to everyone.