This book is such a beautiful compilation of prayers lifting up and embracing women and girls. Shannon has such an incredible way with words and these prayers are stunning.

“Feminist Prayers for My Daughter: Powerful Petitions for Every Stage of Her Life” by Shannon K. Evans is a beautiful, one-of-a-kind book that I can’t wait for you all to read. I can’t think of a more perfect book for Women’s History Month!

The other night, I was up with sick kids and then couldn’t sleep. Foggy brained, I started reading this, borrowing her words to pray over my daughters, myself, and other women I love. I so appreciate the obvious time and care she took in crafting these beautiful, rich prayers!
 
Evans has prayers for a range of topics that are relevant at various stages of a girl’s/woman’s life, including milestones like starting kindergarten, for menarche (first menstruation), for leaving home, for her wedding day, for childbirth, for miscarriage, for menopause, and for times of tragedy. She also addresses issues such as body image, gender and sexuality, singleness, decision making, truth telling, justice, healthy boundaries, doing her inner work, loving her enemy, representation, and even “for when she is mansplained.”
 
As you may know if you’ve been around here for a while, I am extremely picky about prayer books and devotionals, but this is one I highly recommend without reservation. It’s not one that has a few stand-out beauties that resonate; each prayer is packed full of wisdom, insight, and goodness that gives words to pray for what we may not have known show to express. It’s the perfect book to return to again and again and would make a beautiful gift for women in general, baby showers, Mother’s Day and milestone birthdays.

This book was outstanding. I have two daughters and these read like everything I already have prayed over them and everything else I want to say. They felt like they were prayed over me too. Words for everything - career, loss, love, leaving, toxic friendship, body positivity, saying no, equality, belief, health, identity, changing your mind...... I wish I had had this when I was growing up. To know that all the prayers I were uttering, things I was unlearning and questioning about my role as a woman and all the ways I addressed the divine, did not make me dangerous.
I will read and reread and reread and write my own. Thank you Shannon for your rich, beautiful words. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Such powerful prayers for my teenage daughter for her education, relationships, decision making, love, and more. I will keep coming back to this book as she enters new phases of life for inspiration and reminders of the prayers she needs during each season.

What an amazing book. The writing is poetic and carefully constructed and it beautifully reflects the full spectrum of a woman's life. I felt privileged to read this and immediately ordered a hard copy to have for my shelves.

Shannon is a Catholic contemplative writer whose first book, Rewilding Motherhood, offers spiritual practices for the motherhood journey. In this book, Shannon shares “Feminist Prayers for My Daughter” in the categories of relationships, embodiment, spirituality, womanhood, wholeness, justice, equality, and milestones. With the renewed attention to contemplative prayers and spiritual formation, it’s surprising that this book is the first of its kind in its focus on prayers for mothers to say specifically for their daughters.

Each chapter begins with a new name to address God, such as “Everpresent Strength, “Marvelous Liberator”, and “Divine Releaser”. Some of the prayers I loved the most: prayers for a shame-free sexual ethic; for marriage partnership; for getting her butt in counseling; for seeing women lead in church; and for curiosity. I like that each prayer was brief, about one page, and I can see myself reaching for this book and meditating on each prayer as my daughter and I reach milestones in parenthood.

These prayers are from a particular spiritual leaning, so this book is best suited for readers who identify as spiritual, progressive, and, of course, feminist. If that fits you, even if you don’t have a daughter, you may love this book.

“Feminist Prayers for My Daughter” includes prayers and blessings for your daughter to live a life of freedom and flourishing—and for you in your reparenting.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

As my daughter grows and we let her fly more and more, I know there will be times when I’m feeling so many things that I need concrete words to channel those feelings. And this book is just that.

Whether you consider yourself religious or non religious, spiritual or not, whatever your politics, and for anyone in between... If you love a little girl in your life, get this book.

It’s divided into prayers for:
✨relationships
✨embodiment
✨spirituality
✨womanhood
✨wholeness
✨justice
✨equality
✨milestones

There are prayers I hope I don’t need to use (for miscarriage and infant loss) and prayers I’m sure I’ll memorize as my daughter keeps growing (for curiosity, for raising her voice, for handling peer pressure).

✨One of my favorites is from the section on milestones- prayer for learning to walk: “…let me not caution her, as society is wont to do with our little girls, but encourage her strength and mastery. Let her hear me say ‘You can do it!’ far more than she hears me say ‘Be careful!’ May my daughter celebrate her accomplishment and marvel at her body. May I never forget the look on her face as she does. And may I see it a thousand more times in the years to come.” ✨

I'll admit it - I hesitated to read this one. I don't have daughters and struggled with infertility before having my son. Because of this, parenting and mothering books can be triggering. But not Shannon's. The prayers are poetry - beautifully and intentionally crafted. The prayers cover everything from genuine and deep female friendships to fortieth birthdays and equal pay. I felt so seen in each one.

Read as a whole, her words and dreams for her daughter put words to dreams, desires, and gratitude I have for myself but never fully articulated. I'm so glad I have this in hard copy to have as a reference. I've already found myself taking pictures of her words to share with friends in moments when my own words don't feel fully adequate.

Just beautiful and would be a meaningful present for anyone who has a daughter or is a daughter.

I’m so grateful for an advanced copy from NetGalley. This book is such a treasure with inspiring and uplifting messages. It covers all stages of growth & development for daughters. While some might be put off by the title, this book is filled with compassion, wisdom, & hope for women of all ages.

This is a beautiful collection of prayers, written by a mother for her daughter. It covers everything from first steps to death, first period to menopause, intersectional feminism to mansplaining.
This was a breath of fresh air, a sign of hope for the Christian church.
I'm so grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for a free eARC of this book. I will absolutely be picking a physical copy up once it is published.

While the title of this book may feel off-putting to some, this book written by Shannon K. Evans has important words of compassion, wisdom, and hope for women of all ages.

Reading Level: Easy to Moderate
This book is written for adults, but is broken into concise prayers that are easily approached by all readers. Portions of the text include language is rooted in theological terminology, and may require a dictionary search for those who are unfamiliar.

Faith Engagement Level: Easy/Moderate to Digest
While this book is generally easy to digest, these prayers will challenge the ways in which you think about God, women, and your patterns of faith.

Reader Age Recommended: Ages 16+
Contrary to the popular negative understanding of feminism, this book serves to bridge the gap between the flowery language of feminine faith and the women who feel alienated by these softer expressions of faith.

WHY SHOULD I READ THIS BOOK?
Admittedly, the intended audience for this book is rather limited to those who have daughters. This being said, the nature of this book invites the reader to engage in their faith - whether you have a daughter, or not. The prayers in this book range in nature from simple and sweet prayers for the confidence of young daughters, to prayers for the Menarche, to prayers for their deathbed and dignity as women.

One of the prayers which is most powerful within this book was written for elders, titled "For Aging" (10). This single prayer gives more dignity to the aging population than any I have previously read as a liturgy - and will be one that I will likely adapt for congregational use in the future. Likewise, the prayer "For Loving Her Enemy" (25), was rich in it's expression of compassion, hope, and the setting of boundaries.

WHAT DID THIS BOOK CHALLENGE ME TO DO?
While I know that there is feminine language in the Scriptures that refer to God and the Divine Personhood, it is an entirely different experience to pray in a way that is reflective of that knowledge. I may not have a daughter, but I found myself challenged to consider the way in which I express my faith as a daughter of God, and as a minister of the Gospel. Each of the powerful petitions in this text have the potential to renew and challenge the way in which we see God, the world around us, and ourselves.

Feminist Prayers for My Daughter by Shannon K. Evans is a must-read for anyone who has ever felt limited or unseen by traditional understandings and representations of God. A heart-filling letter for any woman who has longed for an older sister, a godmother, a mentor to pray over her.

The book is rooted in a simple, yet expansive understanding of feminism as defined in the introduction – women are equal to men (but do not need to be the same as the contents of the book elaborate). Furthermore, the limitations of western white feminist movements are acknowledged.

Feminist Prayers for My Daughter lovingly touches on many subjects, including eating disorders and substance abuse with a gentle acknowledgement that respects the severity of these topics, but is also minimally triggering.

With its focus on Divine Love that transcends the capabilities of any human, Feminist Prayers for My Daughter fills the readers’ heart with warmth and compassion, enabling us to move past any shortcomings of the humans we have met thus far in our earthly journey and return to the world and its people ready to pour love out of our overflowing hearts.

Throughout the book, there is an excellent balance between the author's knowledge of the Catholic tradition she was raised in and her personal, more contemporary understanding of faith.

Feminist Prayers for My Daughter is deeply personal and universal all at once, a celebration of womanhood and all its stages.

Beautiful collection of prayers in the form of poetry. As a mom, I loved reading this and will buy my own copy to treasure. This is a book of prayers for mothers, aunts, grandmothers, and anyone else who loves a young girl

In these pages are musings and prayers that uniquely reflect the lives of girls and women, mothers and daughters. Some of the topic headings include Relationships, Spirituality, Wholeness, Justice and Milestones, among others. Each of these topics receives about ten prayers; for example for supportive female friendships or for body acceptance, or for vocational choice. A couple of sample quotes: “When she is tempted to limit what she eats, remind her that her body is worthy of nourishment” or “May my daughter have a vision of the woman she is to become, and may no one convince her it is not enough.”

Dip in and out of this title. Readers will find something to think about in these pages.

Many thanks to Baker Academic and Brazos Press for this title. All opinions are my own.