I can’t really express to you how much I enjoyed reading Dana Knox Wright’s book but I am going to try. I would urge you, if you need to read something that will make you feel good and strengthened and reflective all at the same time, then this is the reading material for you. For me, it was like a soothing balm, a validation of the goodness that exists in the world and all of this interspersed with some truly emotive stories from the writer’s own experience.
The book is divided into different chapters where the author concentrates on an aspect of her life which she has allowed herself to loosen her hold on, hence the title. This means, in the broadest terms, not allowing it to rule her or restrict her from being her best self and she shows that life for her and for the majority of us is full of these entrapments. They are wide-ranging too with chapters that focus on holding on too tightly to your children to trying to be something that you are not and holding on to “being fancy”; from being less judgemental to caring less about what others think of you – all pointers to living your best life.
However, Knox Wright’s style is not preachy despite the mention of the importance of her faith in God’s ability to guide her. Nor is it didactic, telling you what she thinks you should do in order to achieve a looser hold. She is merely sharing her experiences and her musings with honesty, wit and a lively style of writing which is engaging throughout and as a reader, you can do with those what you will, no pressure.
It is also, at times, exceptionally moving and I am not ashamed to say that I was reduced to tears multiple times with some of the stories that were related. And I think that that is what this book ultimately is – it is a book full of humanity and how we are all flawed but in essence, we are all capable of goodness; we don’t have to be perfect in this but self-knowledge and reflection is a path to a lighter life.
I haven’t read a book in ages that has made me so optimistic about the world that we live in; and how with people like Dana Knox Wright in it, it will be okay.
The review of this book was first published on Reedsy Discovery where I was privileged to read it as an ARC.
Scuffed Granny 