100 Books in 2012: Book 33 "Savage Breast"

I am frequently distrustful of men who write about women's spirituality (what's your motive, dude?), so when my book club decided to read Tim Ward's exploration of the goddess for our April meeting, I was hesitant.

Boy, was I wrong.

I don't remember the last time I gobbled up a spiritual memoir. (Oh, wait, yes I do: Phyllis Currott's "Book of Shadows", over two years ago).

With a wonderful narrative voice, Ward blends myth and history with his own personal quest, pursuing the vestiges of goddess culture from the Minoans to the Anatolian plains. Each chapter focuses on a certain goddess and her culture, and Ward's work is richly informed by archaeology and Jungian principals. Ward is brutally honest in his writing, including pieces of his own fragile soul in the telling. What emerges is an excellent work, part research and part memoir, examining the widespread yet vastly different goddess of ancient times. Through his fiance and other women in his life, Ward also learns to see the ancient archetypes play out in the modern world.

If you loved "When God was a Woman", or if you have any interest in goddess spirituality, this is a must-read.

What is the last book that surprised you?

Drop by the other 100 Books Challenge participants and cheer them on!