Shunned: How I Lost my Religion and Found Myself

Description

A Jehovah's Witness' Painful but Liberating Realization that She Must Give Up Her Faith "An inherently compelling and candidly revealing memoir . . . an extraordinary, riveting and unreservedly recommended read from first page to last." -Midwest Book Review Linda Curtis was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and is an unquestioning true believer who has knocked on doors from the time she was nine years old. Like other Witnesses, she has been discouraged from pursuing a career, higher education, or even voting, and her friendships are limited to the Witness community. Then one day, at age thirty-three, she knocks on a door-and a coworker she deeply respects answers the door. To their mutual consternation she launches into her usual spiel, but this time, for the first time ever, the message sounds hollow. In the months that follow, Curtis tries hard to overcome the doubts that spring from that doorstep encounter, knowing they could upend her "safe" existence. But ultimately, unable to reconcile her incredulity, she leaves her religion and divorces her Witness husband-a choice for which she is shunned by the entire community, including all members of her immediate family. Shunned follows Linda as she steps into a world she was taught to fear and discovers what is possible when we stay true to our hearts, even when it means disappointing those we love. ". . . a moving portrait of one woman's life as a Jehovah's Witness and her painful but liberating realization that she must give up her faith." Publishers Weekly "Curtis's story reads as true to life . . . it will resonate across faith lines." -Foreword Reviews "A profound, at times fascinating, personal transformation told with meticulous detail." -Kirkus Reviews "...a riveting story, a page-turner, a magnificent contribution, and a book you will never forget." -Lynne Twist, global activist and author of The Soul of Money "A wonderful book that is about so much more than the Jehovah's Witnesses." -Adair Lara, longtime columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle "...brilliant, respectful, insightful and most of all hopeful." Openly Bookish Readers of Educated and Leaving the Witness will resonate with Linda Curtis' moving and courageous account of personal transformation. Order your copy today and begin reading this disturbing, heartbreaking, and ultimately inspiring memoir.

Linda Curtis is an executive consultant, speaker, and mindfulness teacher who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 2003 she has consulted with hundreds of successful entrepreneurs, leaders, C-suite executives, and their teams. Her client list includes MasterCard, RSF Social Finance, NASDAQ, and KPMG. She serves on the core faculty of the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI.org), the groundbreaking mindfulness and emotional intelligence program developed at Google. She teaches their Search Inside Yourself course around the world at organizations including Google, Red Bull, L'Oreal, Vanderbilt University, Genentech, and LinkedIn.

"Curtis's story reads as true to life, full of identifiable lessons, pain, and positives. Shunned addresses universal themes of belonging, connection, meaning, and family togetherness; it will resonate across faith lines." -Foreword Reviews "This is a moving portrait of one woman's life as a Jehovah's Witness and her painful but liberating realization that she must give up her faith." -Publishers Weekly "This is an unforgettable story from a brave and beautiful woman who has turned her tragic experience of being shunned into an inspiring opportunity to create and claim a life of integrity, joy, and purpose. Her pain and grief, courage and compassion, strength and insight will deeply touch every reader and have them rethink who they are and what they stand for. This is a riveting story, a page-turner, a magnificent contribution, and a book you will never forget." -Lynne Twist, global activist and author of The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life "What a pleasure to journey with Linda Curtis in her brave, captivating story of really growing up all the way. I read this book deep into the night and picked it up in the morning, unable to turn away from the unfolding adventure of a young woman determined to live a true life." -Sherry Ruth Anderson, coauthor of The Feminine Face of God and The Cultural Creatives "You can't read Shunned without realizing that Curtis's story is, writ large, the primal story of leaving home, in which you can't become yourself without betraying your family. A wonderful book that is about so much more than the Jehovah's Witnesses." -Adair Lara, longtime columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and author of Hold Me Close, Let Me Go "A profound, at times fascinating, personal transformation told with meticulous detail.... The author's radical transformation-from dogmatism to relativism and from timidity to self-assurance-unfolds gradually and genuinely. Beyond providing an eye-opening look at her former religious community, this memoir subtly encourages readers to challenge childhood views in search of chosen beliefs." -Kirkus Reviews "This memoir of faith, struggle and rebirth will have you on the edge of your seat. It's brilliant, respectful, insightful and most of all hopeful." -Openly Bookish "Linda's brilliant writing lights up the page. She speaks with great authenticity, insight and candor. This book is a wonderful inspiration for anyone who has been trapped in religious dogma or constricted by social and family pressures. Her courageous journey beautifully illuminates the path to find one's freedom in the face of being shunned." -Mark Coleman, Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, Author of Awake In The Wild "I have met dozens of exiled young people shunned for their crime of finding the world and daring to think freely who are mired in longing for their religious families. Linda Curtis stunningly captures the loss and necessary courage it takes to grow into a unique individual in a rubber stamp world, and the stubborn thwarted love that lives on. Shunned is a vital book for our times." -Leah Lax, Author of Uncovered: How I Left Hasidic Life and Finally Came Home "Shunned is a beautiful and moving account of discovery, awakening, and courage. Linda's candor, insight, and warmth are a gift." -Marc Lesser, Author of Less: Accomplishing More By Doing Less "Disturbing, heartbreaking, and ultimately inspiring, Shunned is a must-read for anyone who has endured the pain of saying good-bye in order to find their true home, a place of belonging." -John Perkins, author of NY Times bestseller Confessions of an Economic Hitman and The World Is As You Dream It