From Powells.com
Our favorite books of the year.
Staff Pick
Redvelations is truly a revelation. Building on her bestselling memoir, Red Hot and Holy, Sera Beak digs even deeper into the workings of her own soul and brings us a book that is both incredibly personal and highly relevant. Her book is full of heart and soul and fire and poetry. I recommend it to anyone and everyone, and I hope it brings you as much joy and clarity as it brought me. Recommended By Azalea M., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
In her irresistible spiritual memoir Red Hot & Holy (Sounds True, 2013) Sera Beak told the story of how she lost and found her soul on the mystical path. With Redvelations, Sera illuminates the mystical path even further by offering a memoir from the perspective of the soul itself — a story that stretches across time through the triumphs and trials of many lives, including a powerful view of Jesus and Mary Magdalene as seen through the eyes of a daughter forgotten by history.
By tracking her own soul's journey, Sera reveals our common struggles in an uncommon way, and explores one of the most profound spiritual mysteries: why do souls incarnate? Why does something that is perfect and whole choose to enter our imperfect world where it can be wounded, shattered, and betrayed? As Sera reveals, our souls choose the adventure of embodiment so we may learn about the beauty that only comes from fragility, the love that can only flourish in the presence of heartbreak, and the joyous, reckless audacity of being fully human.
Synopsis
Author's Summary
Sharing your truth with the world is rarely easy, especially when it contradicts history and a major world religion. But truth, much like love, can't stay buried forever.
Redvelations is my story of remembering and reclaiming Sarah, the forgotten daughter of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, as the lost part of my own soul.
If your eyebrows have raised, I understand. Your doubts and disbelief are well-warranted, and you're welcome to interpret my story however you wish. What's more important than believing in my soul's reality is believing in your soul's reality. Above all else, this book champions the importance of recovering and embodying the lost parts of your soul so you can become fully human, wildly alive, and contribute to the well-being of this planet.
I hope my soul's journey reminds you to trust your unique journey, cherish the entire human experience, and share your soul's truth--no matter what others think.
This book is an unorthodox offering, a fiery reminder, and a living testament. But most of all, Redvelations is my heart smashed onto pages. Handle with care.
Publisher's Summary
In her remarkable spiritual memoir Red Hot & Holy (Sounds True, 2013), Sera Beak told the story of how she lost and found her soul as a modern woman. With Redvelations, Sera ventures further down the soul path, revealing her unorthodox experiences of the daughter of Jesus and Mary Magdalene and the undeniable power of the soul that this forgotten figure brings to life.
By transparently sharing her soul's journey, Sera illuminates our common struggles in an uncommon way and explores one of the most profound spiritual mysteries: Why do souls incarnate? Why does something that is perfect and whole choose to enter an imperfect world where it can be wounded, shattered, and betrayed?
As Sera reveals, our souls choose the adventure of embodiment so we may learn about the strength that can only come from vulnerability, the love that can only grow in the presence of heartbreak, and the achingly beautiful gift of being fully human.
About the Author
Sera Beak is a Harvard-trained scholar of comparative world religions who spent years traveling the world studying spirituality with Sufi dervishes, Tibetan monks, Croatian mystics, shamans, and more. She is the author of The Red Book: A Deliciously Unorthodox Approach to Igniting Your Divine Spark and Red Hot and Holy: A Heretic's Love Story, has appeared in The New York Times, People, and Publisher's Weekly, and on NPR, The Dr. Oz Show, and Oprah and Friends. She lives in San Francisco, CA.