From the difficult-to-read cover type to the dense chapters to her somewhat muddled parting words, “enjoy or again maybe not, but hopefully though you’ll still get something out of it anyway…,” Tara Ratney’s religious self-help book issues an implied challenge: “Read me, if you dare.” Spelling, punctuation and grammar aren’t conventional. Paragraphs go on for pages. And the book’s countercultural approach can hamper absorption of the author’s points. But along the way, readers who persevere will uncover some gems worth remembering.
Ratney, a “working class, single parent from the Midwest,” imparts wisdom she’s learned from mistakes she’s made in life. Much of the book is devoted to how being black influences relationships. The author relays fundamental Christian principles, using biblical passages relating to marriage and relationships, but they’re analyzed in a real-world manner, using colorful and somewhat salty language. It’s like hearing your favorite aunt tell it like it is. “Don’t get too comfortable with the idea that what’s between your legs is always going (to) save the day,” Ratney writes. “…What I want to say to all women is to let go and …learn to love yourself and find your true purpose {sic} then once you do you will be a better person for someone else.”
Ratney advises women that sexual, emotional and financial security are “at the bottom of our motives” in choosing a mate and that there must be consequences for bad behavior in life. She chastises men for not paying attention to biblical teachings about the union of men and women and challenges them to accept themselves and respect their women. A host of other issues are explored, winding up with a diatribe on homosexuality. Chapters end with a few blank pages for notetaking, which readers likely will want to use.
Despite its many reading challenges, this book imparts wise advice from a street-savvy black woman.
Also available in hardcover and ebook.
