Romancing the Ordinary

Author: Sarah Ban Breathnach
List Price: $25.00
Our Price: Click to see the latest and low price
ISBN: 0743218779
Publisher: Scribner (29 October, 2002)
Sales Rank: 31,647
Average Customer Rating: 3.65 out of 5

Customer Reviews

Rating: 5 out of 5
A Romance for All Seasons
I found it impossible not to be drawn to Romancing the Ordinary, at first simply for its beautiful cover. What I found inside was even lovelier! The style os this book harkens back to Simple Abundance as it calendars the year month by month, offering recipes and cozy home remedies. Sarah's signature narrative is in full effect with her personal anecdotes and insight, where it feels more like an exchange with an intimate friend. Though there is a noted change in her tone--sometimes she's nostalgic, others she is inquisitive and even sassy!
There has been so much tragedy in the past year that I think many of us are finding renewed significance in our everyday ordinary. Sarah takes that sentiment to a refreshing new level. Embedded between fanciful ways of revamping the blah of everyday routine, are nuggets of wisdom and practical proposals.
The book's foundation focuses on her intriguing idea that we can live life fuller simply by beginning to re-appreciate the power of our natural senses. In addition to the five physical ones, she tacks on wonder and intuition. Sarah's theory of Romancing Life translates seamlessly into Romancing Yourself. A practice that begins with self-knowledge. She shares her own realization that, the more you know how to make yourself happy, the easier it will be to recognize who will make you happy. And in the meantime, why wait for that someone? Do it yourself. Now what woman can argue with that?

Rating: 4 out of 5
A wonderful reminder to savor life
As a longtime SIMPLE ABUNDANCE (SA) fan, I was excited to hear that SB was coming out with a new day book. (I have been re-reading SIMPLE ABUNDANCE for a while now!). ROMANCING the Ordinary is lovely to look at and the essays are pure SB -- comforting and informative, as always.

One of the things that made "SA" so helpful and appealing was its daily entries. While "Romancing the Ordinary" is divided into 12 months, there are no daily entries -- so you simply read the essays for that month as you see fit. I am not sure why the publisher didn't encourage Sarah to make an essay for each day of the year, just as she did for "SA". For that reason alone, I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5.

However, I do love the concept of day books, and I think women need them more than ever now that life is so busy, and often fraught with conflict. Writers like Sarah give us comfort and advice, and permission to enjoy and savor life instead of merely rushing through it. Sarah gives us old wisdom, new thought, and some wonderful quotations along the way. We need more of this!

Rating: 3 out of 5
I am not her target audience
At least, I don't feel as if I am.

I originally picked up Simple Abundance off of a coworker's desk while rebooting my computer for the nth time in a morning. Someone then gave me their mostly unused copy and on a lark, wrote out my response to the daily entries in my online journal, which garnered positive feedback, including someone giving me this sequel of sorts. I'm not sure I would've stuck with either without the feedback. This made both well-worth my time.

(And yes, my readers gave me a 3rd daily essay book "Meditations for Women Who Do Too Much", which is already quite different. And, since I'm able to keep up with daily journal entries, possibly inappropriate.)

I recommend reading this either near a computer search engine (or a classic library) and researching some of the people she mentions. Searching for some of the artists, painters, explorers and otherwise interesting historical figures mentioned in the book made it a stepping stone to a richer experience, which seems to be the goal.

I also recommend a fourm that gets feedback, be it blog (I'm no celebrity, and yet I have an interested audience), discussion list or a group that periodically meets in person.

Romancing the Ordinary is, as mentioned, less cute-fuzzy optimistic (I was fascinated by how she faced life changes, whether or not I agreed with her choices) and more earthy/pagan/wiccan/(women-positive). I regard this as a step forward.

Nonetheless, it is a sequel. The original is still a better place to begin.

Similar Products

Choosing Happiness: Keys to a Joyful Life
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy


Book Index