Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The Next Right Thing podcaster Freeman (The Next Right Thing) offers a level-headed and spiritually inflected guide to starting over. According to Freeman, if life is a house, "at some point we'll find ourselves... looking around at familiar rooms and questioning if it's time to move on." She encourages readers to recognize when a job, community, relationship, or commitment "no longer seem to fit"; take stock of power dynamics, expectations, and emotional associations ("What's not working here? To what extent can I be myself in this room?"); and consult their own values to determine "what is worth protecting," what should be cast away, and what must be changed if the decision is to stay. Later chapters touch on regrouping after seismic upheavals, finding closure (or accepting the lack thereof), and entering "new rooms" that better align with one's personal values. Freeman's abundant questions, prayers, and exercises will inspire productive reflection, but the emotional center of this guide is the author's decision to leave their church of seven years after one of their children began questioning their sexuality. Freeman's firsthand knowledge of how pain and resolve can coexist during life's turning points suffuses the narrative. This is a wise and compassionate resource for those looking to begin their next chapter. (Mar.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Freeman, host of The Next Right Thing podcast, spiritual director, and author of five books, including The Next Right Thing, focuses on the metaphorical rooms where people live in their personal and professional lives: house of worship, home, relationships, community groups, workplace, etc. The book is divided into three parts. The first discusses how to walk out of a room. These are areas where we feel we no longer belong or want to belong. Freeman encourages readers to reflect on these feelings and why. Part two centers on "pausing," the in-between period when readers may want to leave a relationship or physical place but are having doubts about whether it is the right decision. Finally, part three addresses how to walk into a new room after one decides to become or is in the process of becoming a new person. VERDICT This well-written volume encourages users to ask the tough questions in their lives. Best suited for self-help, pastoral, and spiritual counselors.--Jacqueline Parascandola
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