Book Review: Breaking Through: Catholic Women Speak for Themselves

Who are Catholic women? Why must they speak for themselves?  We are often portrayed as slightly simple, men-fearing, guilt laden individuals who cannot or will not stand up for themselves and demand abortion, contraception, and ordination.  If you are looking to find to find that voice in the book, Breaking Through: Catholic Women Speak for Themselves edited by Helen M. Alvare don't bother reading the book.

But, if you'd like to hear from women who are articulate  highly  educated, well respected in their fields, wives, mothers, and unreservedly Catholic then please, pick up a copy.

This book is the conversation no one in the mainstream media wants us to have or engage in.  Why?  Because in the end, the answers come back to the faith of two thousand years when one women said "yes" to God and bore his son.

Ten chapters to wrap your brain around facts as to why the secular world does not have all the answers and how in many cases the good women have been sold by the culture have done us more harm than good.  Each chapter is written by a different author and deals with a current and relevant topic.  My favorites were Something Old and Something Really New:  Women as Professionals and Breadwinners  but Pilgrims Just the Same by Mary Devlin Capizzi, J.D. and Beauty, Bounty, Balance: Avoiding the Hazards of Having by Mary Hallan FioRito, J.D.  The most intriguing chapter was by Michelle A. Cretella, M.D., Who Am I?  Psychology, Faith and Same-Sex Attraction.

When Capizzi writes about her struggles as a mother and breadwinner I am right there with her, "at the same time, I would never describe my experience as spiritually or emotionally "smooth." "   Pretty much says it all! FioRito is a Church employee and tells her walking that fine line between appreciating beauty and beautiful things but not needing to have them all. Dr. Cretella's chapter needs to be distributed to every parent of every teen and young adult who is dealing with same-sex attraction as well as youth minister, priest, social worker, doctor, heck, anyone who spends time with people!

In the end, this book pulls together the faith of nine different women who have questioned, learned, listened, and thought through what our Church teaches and can tell us why it makes sense.  These are not "yes" women but women of faith.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Breaking Through: Catholic Women Speak for Themse. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your family Advent activities and supplies this year, such as Advent wreaths and calendars for kids, as well as Christmas decorations such as nativity scene sets and religious Christmas gifts for the whole family.