Still

Still is a memoir that chronicles Lauren Winner's crisis of faith after her mother's death and her divorce. The book follows her spiritual journey as an Episcopal priest and professor during a period of doubt and disconnection from God. Winner structures the narrative through a series of meditations on small religious objects and everyday moments - a bottle of champagne, an old prayer book, a fork in the road. She examines her relationship with prayer, worship, and religious community while questioning what remains of faith when certainty falls away. The author draws from Christian mystical traditions, literature, and her academic background in religious history to frame her experience. Her observations move between past and present as she traces the evolution of her beliefs and practices. The book speaks to universal themes of loss, resilience, and the tension between doubt and faith. Through its focus on the middle space between conversion and resolution, Still offers a window into how religious identity can persist and transform through periods of spiritual crisis.

Readers connect with Winner's raw honesty about faith struggles and grief following her mother's death and her divorce. Many note the book's poetic, contemplative writing style and appreciate how it validates religious doubt. Readers highlight: - Relatable descriptions of "middle" faith periods - Integration of literature references with spiritual insights - Permission to question while maintaining belief Common criticisms: - Meandering narrative structure - Too much focus on Anglican church specifics - Some find the literary references pretentious - Desire for more resolution or concrete takeaways Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (1,100+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (90+ ratings) Sample reader comment: "Winner perfectly captures that 'middle space' of faith - not a crisis or mountain top, but the daily work of showing up." -Goodreads reviewer Critical review: "Beautiful writing but lacks cohesion. Feels more like connected essays than a complete narrative." -Amazon reviewer

Girl Meets God by Lauren F. Winner A memoir of conversion between Judaism and Christianity traces the author's parallel spiritual and academic journeys.

The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris The chronicle follows a married Protestant woman's immersion in Benedictine monasticism and contemplative practice.

Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott This spiritual autobiography maps the path from addiction and doubt to Christian faith through life's moments of grace.

The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton The narrative traces a young man's journey from secular intellectual to Trappist monk in the twentieth century.

Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith by Kathleen Norris The text examines Christian terminology and doctrine through personal experience and cultural context.

🔹 Lauren Winner wrote this memoir during a crisis of faith after her mother's death and her own divorce, chronicling her journey through what she calls the "middle" of her spiritual life. 🔹 The book's structure is inspired by "still life" paintings - each chapter begins with a description of a historical still life painting that connects to the spiritual theme being explored. 🔹 Winner, who converted from Judaism to Christianity in her twenties, draws on both traditions in her writing, weaving together elements from her Jewish upbringing with her Anglican faith. 🔹 The author serves as an ordained Episcopal priest and teaches at Duke Divinity School, where she specializes in Christian spirituality and the history of Christian practice. 🔹 The title "Still" carries multiple meanings throughout the book - referring to both stillness in prayer and the "still" that comes between major life events, as well as connecting to the still life paintings that frame the narrative.