This is a book that combines biblical truth and teachings, devotions, application and fiction into one. Each chapter is divided into different sections, each meant to give you a different and unique perspective on the last week of Jesus’ life. What intrigued me the most was the fictionalized, behind the scenes, woman’s take on what was happening during Holy Week. Not to give anything away, but a possible and plausible answer to “who cooked the Passover dinner?” is in there!
A Walk in Her Sandals is part of the Women in the New Evangelization effort and will be the book club read during Lent this year. It will be very interesting to read it during Lent, when we are walking with Jesus to his passion, death, and resurrection. What is different about this book is two-fold; first, it is written from a woman’s perspective, for women, which is unique. It takes disparate types of writing, puts them together and makes you think about scripture. Knowing scripture is an invaluable way to know about Jesus. Second, practical ways to evangelize, to reach out to others are offered in each chapter.
One of the sections that people may find particularly helpful is the Lectio Divina section. We may have heard about this way of reading scripture, but here we are guided through the passage after we have learned about it.
This book captured my imagination in a way other books have not. I usually don’t like fictionalized stories about Jesus, but these are beautifully written and engaged me. All the parts of the book are woven together, taking us from Palm Sunday to Pentecost, teaching about Jesus, drawing us into a deeper relationship with him, and guiding us in prayer. All of this with the objective to love him more and to serve him more fully in whatever our role is in our life.
I look forward to reading A Walk in Her Sandals during Lent and I hope you will too!
©Deanna Bartalini, 2017
Deanna Bartalini
Deanna G. Bartalini, is a Catholic writer, speaker, and educator. She serves on the retreat team at Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center. Deanna loves teaching about Catholicism and how it fits into our daily lives. She writes at DeannaBartalini.com, serves as the editor of the NewEvangelizers.com blog, and is a contributor there as well as at AmazingCatechists.com. Deanna contributed to A Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion published by Ave Maris Press. She is the author of “Invite the Holy Spirit into Your Life: Growing in Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control” published by Our Sunday Visitor. Deanna is available to lead retreats and speak at catechist and ministry events.
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