StaceyHH

I marked this as a DNF, although I did read about 90% of the book. I felt that it didn't actually resemble the description: "The stories in Beyond Belief reveal how these women became involved, what their lives were like, and why they came to the decision to eventually abandon their faiths. The authors shed a bright light on the rigid expectations and misogyny so often built into religious orthodoxy, yet they also explain the lure—why so many women are attracted to these lifestyles, what they find that’s beautiful about living a religious life, and why leaving can be not only very difficult but also bittersweet."I found very little of this in the book. What might be a more accurate description is: "Vignettes of life, from women who are living happily or unhappily, in or out of a religious environment." There's not really a lot of commonality, other than many of the stories are "moments in time" that represented why it wasn't working for them. Some of the women were actually involved in abusive religions, some were in abusive situations where the religious tenants were being misused. Some were not in a bad situation at all, only in one that didn't fit with their inner vision. Some were self-destructive. Only one of the stories seemed to fit the description of "shedding a bright light on the rigid expectations," and I really wanted to read more of her exit story, but the framework of the book (just a slice!) didn't have room for that.For those looking for the "how and why," this is not the book. I think I was a great deal more disappointed with the stories simply because the jacket copy is so misleading.