Everbloom: Stories of Living Deeply Rooted and Transformed Lives is a book meant to be sipped and savored. At first glance it looks like it might be a book of writing prompts, but it is really a collection of forty-two short essays and poems written by women from a large variety of life stages and experiences, and it is also an invitation to reflect on one’s own life experiences.
This book is at its best when it is used interactively. The reader won’t get as much out of it if they simply read it and don’t interact with it. But when one does participate in the writing prompts, the book encourages the reader to express their own heart and discover new depths to themselves.
I like the fact that this book included poems. They provided a nice change of pace as well as accessing a different intelligence, a different part of the brain, and a different part of the heart. These poems caused me slow down and ponder, even more so than the thought-provoking essays did.
Like any book written by several authors, I had my favorite selections. I especially liked “The Woman under the Palm Tree” and “Caretakers of the World.” The first got me to wondering what impact one woman could have on the world and the second showed me what one woman did.
The only negative I found to Everbloom was that not all the essays had the same quality of writing. However, in spite of the differences in writing style, all of the essays contained meaty messages well worth considering.
If the reader is looking for a single topic book, then Everbloom is not what they want, but, if one wants to hear briefly how all sorts of women handle all sorts of real life issues, then this book fits the bill. The topics covered in this volume include: responding to injustice, hearing God’s voice, feeling homesick, leaving a legacy, dealing with insecurities, being angry with God, learning to welcome others, being brave, and many others.
I’m looking forward to sharing this book with friends. It’s a good book to discuss over coffee. The writing prompts not only encourage self-discovery, they provide insightful discussion questions and offer an opportunity for group members who discuss it together to peer into each other’s hearts and to grow closer to each other. I’d also like to use this book in my own devotional or quiet time, taking one entry a day and not only meditating on the messages but also praying over my responses. I think that such an approach with this book can help my own soul bloom.
