Description
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Imagine if all the worn-out, untrue, painful chapters of our lives started to quiet, and the beautiful, unique pieces of who we are were to rise. Imagine if the stories we tell brought us back to our true selves, back to one another. Imagine if they spoke of how we loved and lost and tried our best. How we saw it all, even the parts that hurt. Joanna Gaines’ new book, The Stories We Tell , invites us on an authentic and deeply vulnerable journey into her story—and helps shine a light on the beauty of our own—guiding us to release the weights that hold us back so we may live and share our story in truth. We’ve all dropped anchor in places that suited us for a time: a city, a perspective, a lie we mistook as truth. This book is an invitation to a kind of life where you know how to hold what you believe—about yourself and the quiet worlds behind the people you pass—with gracious and open hands. To see your story as greater than any past or future thing, but for all the beauty and joy and hope it holds today. It’s an invitation to take stock of the chapters you’ve lived—the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly—glean what’s gold, and carry only that forward. Let it slow your feet and steady your life-in-motion so you can see where you stand today from a new point of view. No longer through weary or uncertain eyes, but a lens brimming with hope. ————— “The only way to break free was to rewrite my story. Because something would happen every time my pen stopped: It was like my soul was coming back to my body. Like the deepest parts of me that got knocked around and drowned out by all the crap I let the world convince me about who I was came back to the surface. And what was left was only what was real and true. I was, finally, standing in the fullness of my story. I felt hopeful. I felt full. Our story may crack us open, but it also pieces us back together. We all have a story to tell. This happens to be mine—every chapter a window into who I am, the journey I’m on, and the season I’m in right now. Because this is my story, maybe you won’t always relate, or maybe it will feel like you’re looking in a mirror. Whatever we have in common and whatever differences lie between us, I only hope my story can help shine a light on the beauty of yours. That my own soul work will stir something of your own. And that by the time you get to the end of my story, you’re also holding the beautiful beginnings of your own. A story only you can tell. And I hope that you will.” -Joanna
T. E. Collard Jr. –
I recently gave “The Stories We Tell” as a gift, and the recipient really enjoyed it! The book is a collection of personal essays that explore the ways in which we narrate our own lives and the lives of others., The essays are well-written and thought-provoking, and the book as a whole is a compelling read. The stories are relatable and universal, and the author does a great job of exploring the themes of identity, memory, and storytelling in a nuanced and engaging way., The recipient of the gift really appreciated the book and found it to be a meaningful and enjoyable read. They enjoyed the author’s writing style and found the stories to be insightful and thought-provoking., Overall, I would highly recommend “The Stories We Tell” as a gift. It is a great read for anyone interested in personal essays, storytelling, or self-reflection.
Flixguy –
I run an Airbnb and am always looking for ways to express my home and myself to my guests. This book is not so much into design but talks about how aspects of your own story influence everything you do that make up who you are. I took a lot from the book but if you are looking for strict design, this is not your book, but if you are looking for ways to express and understand yourself and making your story for yourself, in whatever you do, this was enjoyed. I love everything she does so maybe I am biased, but this was definitely a book I wanted to understand about Joanna more and what makes her whom she is, and inwardly helped me see similarities for myself.
W. Saxe –
Love Joanna and love her story, honesty, and vulnerability. However, I’d recommend buying the book elsewhere, especially if it’s a gift. Zero effort was expended to wrap the book for safe travel, resulting in the corners being smashed in. Sure, I could return it for a replacement (and who knows in what shape that would arrive) but then I either have to make a special trip to a UPS dropoff location or I have to pay $7.99 to send it back. Ridiculous and very lacking service by Amazon.
Kindle Customer –
I expected this book to be primarily about Joanna Gaines’s life, but I found more about her evolving insights about how and why she had behaved and reacted to life through the years. It’s the book most women in their 40s need to read and imitate, as they figure out how to proceed through the changes in their families and relationships. I’m in my 70s now and have already been through much of what she writes about, but I bought a copy for a family member to help her navigate that stage in life. There was a lot of philosophy, and I would have preferred more concrete examples, but the book was still good.
SunnyHi –
If you are looking for a self-improvement book with outright solutions, this is not for you. But if you feel you could use one that would help you walk through your uncertainties and innermost questions, this book is fantastic. I absolutely love it.