Delightful Sensible Shoes Series

Sensible Shoes and the sequel, Two Steps Forward by Sharon Garlough Brown are both delicious reads that touch the soul. The stories follow the life journey of four women, who at surface level appear as different as water and oil but become community as they attend a weekly sacred journey group led by a Spiritual Director.  As I began to know the characters, Meg, Hannah, Mara and Charissa, I saw a glimpse of myself in each woman.  Honest dialog within the storyline reveals real spiritual struggles and different spiritual practices are introduced gently as suggestions to aid each women’s journey.  The sequel to Sensible Shoes, Two Steps Forward, continues the women’s stories and is as engaging as the first book.  I ached with the heartbreak of Meg and her prodigal daughter and Mara’s failing marriage and celebrated Hannah’s relationship and the excitement of a first baby with Charissa.  But each character has a mixture of struggle and yet the glimmer of hope, making the books realistic yet encouraging. The second book is candid in it’s conversations and parallels life which has it’s own roller coaster ride.  I love the fact that the books are fiction but bring the depth of the contemplative as the women seek to know Jesus as not only Savior but also friend.  I also love how the women grow into a community with each other and support each other in genuine love.  I will eagerly anticipate the third and fourth book of this series, excited to see what happens in each woman’s life but also loving the gentle reminders of how Jesus meets us right where we are.