A Renaissance of Our Own; A Memoir & Manifesto on Reimagining by Rachel E. Cargle was an incredible read! I have admired Rachel on social media for years and was so delighted when I was approved for this arc! I was truly thankful to have gotten to read this before most people! I would like to purchase this one for my physical library!

I am a big Rachel Cargle fan, so I was delighted to receive a copy of A Renaissance of Our Own. This book mixes memoir with a call to action for readers to reflect on their own values and write their own personal vision. It's a powerful work that does require investment from the reader to get the full scope of the work realized.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

I read A Renaissance of Our Own by Rachel E. Cargle so fast! (Maybe that's why I forgot to review it until now.) It's such a fantastic book to read from front to back. I also appreciate it as a resource to pick up and read parts of at any time. My students, especially those who self-identify as feminists, will love this!

This book is a beautiful exploration into whether you’re living the life you truly desire. More of an interactive workshop on pages, it’s an invitation to dream, rest, and imagine.

Part memoir, part self-help book, "A Renaissance of Our Own" asks readers to "decid[e] who we want to be and liv[e] that truth". The best parts of this book were Cargle's coming of age and coming into her own as a young woman. There were parts of this story that resonated so deeply with me, and had me wishing I could have read this book a decade ago as I was going through some of these same transformations in my own life. I appreciated the interwoven historical and social topics, and I appreciated that she provided the reader with ways to apply what she's learned to their own lives. I, however, would have enjoyed this more if it was just a memoir.

This book was everything I wanted from Rachel Cargle—a look inside her own transformations, with some guided reflection to help us complete our own, centering real anti-racist, anti-white supremacy work. I'll be meditating on these journal prompts for some time, and know I'll be hearing her wise guiding voice in my head.

I read this book so fast and I believe it’s a book you sit on your bedside table and keep close. It’s a book to return to. It’s a book that makes you think, and wonder. It pushes you to question things you may have never thought you would. I think this book is almost like a workbook. You can get out of it more if you take the time to consider the questions. It was a quick read for me. The pace keep me reading. I hope there will be more books from this author that dive deeper into her story. This was a great read but I think there’s even more here.

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine and Rachel E. Cargle for the opportunity to read an early copy of A Renaissance of Our Own. This is an empowered and empowering story of reclaiming and reimagining one's life, and Rachel E. Cargle does an excellent job of providing readers from all walks of life, though with a particular love and care for Black women, the opportunity and tools to set themselves on a new path. This is a must-read memoir-manifesto.

First of all, I LOVE the cover of this book--it's what led me to apply for the ARC. Honestly though, this one wasn't for me. It wasn't bad, by any means. It just leaned more self-help than I would prefer. I did really enjoy the parts that focused more heavily on the memoir aspect, especially in the first chapter of the book. Overall though, I just was not the target audience. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thanks to Net Galley and Ballantine Books for a free ebook. Rachel Cargyle shares her own journey of discovering who she is, and gently invites you along to learn more about yourself as well. A mix of storytelling and self help, A Renaissance of Our Own is a good reminder that it’s okay to not know it all, and brings an excitement for learning more about the world and yourself. Rachel is a gifted weaver of words, drawing you into her story, and then also walks you through how to figure out your own big priorities and start making decisions that align with them.

Rachel Cargle uses her remarkable and intimate story about her reimagining of her life to inspire your own. Marrying straightforward memoir with writing exercises, Cargle helps you reflect on your highest values and write your own personal manifesto based on what has worked for her. Whether you’re already familiar with Cargle or not, her story will surprise you and motivate you to align your life with your values.

CEO Rachel Cargle reimagined her life independent of current social structures, moving from a Christian wife to a queer feminist voice. This memoir outlines the breaking points in her life that brought about that change, and invites others "to acknowledge the ways of being that stem from societal expectations instead of your truth, and to embark on a renaissance of your own."

Opening with her Manifesto and author's note were invited to take a look at ourselves and our place in society. Each chapter details an era of her life and what she learned from it, then there are questions and journaling prompts to help the reader navigate their thoughts. Children are taught the social rules, which are meant to keep the existing status quo. Raised Baptist, Rachel found herself following the guidelines and expectations of being a good Christian wife even when her gut told her that she would not feel happy or fulfilled. She followed others' directions for her life, and it was wanting. Even the assumption that she had to have children or attend prestigious universities for education was questioned.

The questions for the reader in that chapter are to assess actual values of importance, not just assumptions. Society was built by a certain class of people: white, able-bodied, and affluent. The underlying rules reinforce that system, so answering the questions can be uncomfortable and difficult. Each chapter can be taken individually, easing us into that deeper understanding of ourselves and our place in society. No one would be expected to do it all in one sitting or even have those answers right away. It's meant to be a framework to build from and grow in a thoughtful way, something that can benefit all of us.

A Renaissance of Our Own is a wonderful book. While I am not the intended audience, I was able to get a deeper insight into allyship as I ponder The author's words.

She is unapologetic in her truths, which can cause discomfort. But it is in those discomforts that growth happens.

I have been a follower of Rachel's for a long time. I have always admired her unwavering ability to live her most authentic life. This book is will inspire the reader to reimagine all the amazing things their life can be. She encourages us all to do the hard work and be ourselves

This books gives interesting insight to Cargle’s personal development, particularly the shift in political awareness that differs from her upbringing. I didn’t initially expect the writing prompts that accompany her narrative, and though they come at a little cost to the depth of the narrative, I think they could be really helpful and insightful for the target audience of this book. Those who are a fan of her work will enjoy this, and I hope this is signaling more wiring from her

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to review. Cargle shares in detail her personal testimony of how she went from living a life she began to question to one full of vibrancy and abundance. Laying out how she personally made decisions to create this life, she encourages the reader to do the same-not by following what she did but instead finding what's most important and living from that. I found this book easy to read, moving from one part of her life to the next, relating in some ways and not so much in others. This story of vulnerability, humility, and courage to choose your own path and then to share that with the world will stick with me for years to come.

I have been a follower of Rachel’s for many years. She has always been unfailing kind to allow the public to have access to her life and experiences. Not just for consumption but so that we may learn, grow, and do better. This memoir is no different. Rachel gives deep insight into her own journey but pushes you do the work. She leaves templates for you sit with what she has said and make it personal. I recommend everyone to grab a copy of this book- order it from Rachel’s bookstore if you are able to.

Special thanks to Net Galley and Random House for sharing this advanced digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

A Renaissance of Our Own is a powerful and inspiring book that will challenge you to reimagine your life and the world around you. Rachel Cargle, a Black feminist writer and activist, shares her own personal journey of healing and transformation, and offers readers the tools and resources they need to create their own renaissance.

Cargle writes with honesty and vulnerability, and her words are both challenging and hopeful. She reminds us that we all have the power to create change, and that we can do so by starting with ourselves. A Renaissance of Our Own is a must-read for anyone who is looking for a more just and equitable world.

Here are some of the things that I loved about A Renaissance of Our Own:

Cargle's writing is clear, concise, and powerful.
She shares her own personal story with honesty and vulnerability.
She offers readers the tools and resources they need to create their own renaissance.
The book is both challenging and hopeful.
If you're looking for a book that will challenge you to think differently about the world, I highly recommend A Renaissance of Our Own. It's a book that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

I love Rachel and enjoyed this book - though I wish it went in to a little more depth about her life. I wouldn't have minded if it were a bit longer and included a bit more detail. Overall though I love how she approaches life and feel that she really has her finger on the pulse of how younger generations think and feel about work and rest.

Rachel Cargle does vital work which she shares in her powerful new memoir, “A Renaissance of Our Own”. Reading it is a privilege. We get a front row seat to witness the evolution of Cargle’s life and leadership as a leading voice in our latest reckoning with systemic racism and patriarchy. But she doesn’t spoon feed. Every step described in the book is a challenge to the reader to reevaluate their life. Every part of it. Everyday.

Cargle lives at the intersection of race and gender. We all need to live there. We need to understand the challenges for ourselves and others, especially Black females. Getting to this point has been a journey for Cargle. She needed to first learn to trust herself, not let herself be defined by other people’s values. She needed to focus on what was essential and develop a new manifesto. She decided that every step she takes needs to meet her core values of Ease, Abundance, and Opportunity.

We all need to do this work. “A Renaissance” shows the way. We all must understand that, regardless of what we have learned or think that we know, we do not know enough about what life is like for others. Everyone needs to learn more, do more, care more. Act more. Commit to The Great Unlearn and Reimagine.

Finally, Cargle prizes Public Libraries. Let us all commit to the survival of Public Libraries.

Cargle’s work and learnings are channeled through The Loveland Group. Go there. Be there. https://www.lovelandgroupllc.com/

Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the eARC.