"Awaking Wonder" by Sally Clarkson

 


I am not a parent, but I was interested in reading this book because I've spent many years as an educator, not to mention older sister and aunt. Shepherding the children in my life is one of my passions. Though I'd never read Sally Clarkson before, I heard a lot of buzz about this book before it released, and when I had the chance to review it I jumped on board.

Sally casts a vision for raising wholehearted children who receive a well-rounded education through non-traditional, immersive methods. Although she educated her children at home, she asserts her methods can work no matter what education model fits your family. As she says in Chapter 6: "Children who grow up in a home that is alive with the Spirit of God and whose spirits are nurtured and fed are more likely to become life-living and lifegiving adults. It's all about nurture."

She talks about the approaches she took to raising her children and shaping their hearts through education and spiritual formation. Like every parent, they faced a multitude of challenges while bringing their vision to life. Yet each of her four children have turned out to be adults who give into the world through writing, podcasts, music, and film.

Though I thought this book was full of good ideas, I had a few misgivings about it, which of course are shaped from my own personal perceptions and experiences. As noted, I am not a parent, but my own upbringing was nothing like the author described, which made me feel a little sad and wistful. Additionally, having seen literally hundreds of families in my time as a teacher, I can tell you not all parents are able to provide the kind of home Sally describes. There are legitimate issues (including but not limited to personality disorders and abusive situations) which would make this approach detrimental to certain families. Also I felt since Sally is looking back on the years when her children were in her home, she really skimmed over the difficulties she faced in living out her vision, especially in the first half of the book. It is quite idealistic and not exactly in-the-trenches encouragement. I could see it being more of a discouragement from some moms who might be feeling overwhelmed with the daily work of motherhood.

There were many things I liked about it, however. One of them was that she offers ideas and gives glimpses into their lives, but stresses that each individual family will be drawn toward living their wholehearted approach to life with their own interests, gifts, and talents. It will and should look differently for each family. My favorite chapters were those on parents as mentors and establishing rhythms and routines in your home. 

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.