Synopses & Reviews
Nora Gallagher’s compelling story of a woman at a crossroads, discerning what to do and how to live after her brother’s death, is a continuation of the spiritual journey she chronicled in her acclaimed book,
Things Seen and Unseen: A Year Lived in Faith.
When her beloved brother, Kit, dies, Gallagher finds her own life no longer makes sense. Stretched between meetings, always ten minutes late, increasingly drained of surprise and humor, Gallagher realizes she’s lost more than her brother. She’s lost her “own wild life,” and a sense of the sacred in the world.
Gallagher sets out to find “a new way to spend” herself. Practicing Resurrection describes the often un-
settling, sometimes comic, and finally redemptive process of discovery as Gallagher discerns a possible call to the ministry, and explores her marriage, her work as a writer, and the natural world. It extends to the full meaning of life after a death as Gallagher finds that experiences of “resurrection” are not believing “six impossible things before breakfast.” The surprising end portrays a vision of ministry redefined and a marriage honestly renewed.
A beautiful and often harrowing account of the exploration of a vocation and of new life after loss, this powerful memoir will inform and inspire anyone trying to discern the signs of a “call” to what might be a deeper purpose, and how to act on it.
Review
"Though of necessity more self-absorbed than in her previous work, Gallagher firmly places her experiences within the life of her church....In Gallaghers inspiring account, faith challenges and confuses as well as consoles." Kirkus Reviews
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"Skillfully interweaving multiple themes, Gallagher maintains suspense right up to the epilogue....With a poet's ear for language and a novelist's eye for essential detail, Gallagher offers a compelling story of her journey toward 'a wholeness bought at the cost of suffering.'" Publishers Weekly
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"[H]arrowing....In recounting her attempt to make sense of the life that was 'given' her after her brother's passing, Practicing Resurrection reflects one woman's sincere desire to understand her place in the world, to find purpose and meaning after devastating loss." June Sawyers, Booklist
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"A gorgeous, deeply honest, wise book." Sue Halpern
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"Nora Gallagher's courage and candor in pursuit of her vocation and the sheer openness of her soul are nothing short of remarkable." Senator Gary Hart
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"A stunning book about faith and the writing life." Annie Dillard
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"Engaging and beautifully written. Nora Gallagher invites us not only to witness her journey, but to take the rich journey that is discernment for ourselves." Debra K. Farrington, author of Hearing With the Heart
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"Nora Gallagher's writing is honest and sober and she doesn't flinch from all that is possible in this world, neither the nightmare nor the waking vision. I am grateful for her hands at the keyboard and for her wise heart dictating." Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked and Lost
Review
"This is a true book, about faith and about doubt and about the daily things that inform a soul. It's also a book about writing, and a sweet love story, and one of the finest things I've read in a very long age." Bill McKibben
About the Author
Nora Gallaghers best-selling memoir, Things Seen and Unseen: A Year Lived in Faith, received outstanding reviews. Her essays, book reviews, and journalism have appeared in many publications, including
the New York Times Magazine, the Washington Post, DoubleTake, Time, the Los Angeles Times Magazine, The Village Voice, and Mother Jones. She is also the editor of the award-winning Patagonia: Notes from the Field, a collection of literary essays on the outdoors. She and her husband live in Santa Barbara, California.