Bright Shining
How grace changes everything. The new book from the award-winning author of the unforgettable bestselling memoir Phosphorescence
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
From the bestselling author of Phosphorescence comes a beautiful and timely exploration of that most mysterious but necessary of human qualities: grace.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 INDIE BOOK AWARDS
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 ABIA GENERAL NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 BOOKPEOPLE NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR
'Luminous ... A work to both devour and savour, Baird has, once again, written a book the world needs now.' Guardian
Grace is both mysterious and hard to define. It can be found when we create ways to find meaning and dignity in connection with each other, building on our shared humanity, being kinder, bigger, better with each other. If, in its crudest interpretation, karma is getting what you deserve, then grace is the opposite: forgiving the unforgivable, favouring the undeserving, loving the unlovable.
But we live in an era when grace is an increasingly rare currency. The silos in which we consume information dot the media landscape like skyscrapers, and our growing distrust of the media, politicians and public figures has choked our ability to cut each other slack, to allow each other to stumble, to forgive one another.
So what does grace look like in our world, and how do we recognise it, nurture it in ourselves and express it, even in the darkest of times?
From award-winning journalist Julia Baird, author of the acclaimed national bestseller Phosphorescence, comes Bright Shining, a luminously beautiful, deeply insightful and most timely exploration of grace.
'Fascinating, wide-ranging and moving' The Age
'The uplift and power of Bright Shining ... is to be found in the way Baird gives grace fresh currency by bringing this beautiful and elusive condition from the theological margins into the mainstream and showing, with passion and verve, how quietly transformative it can be.' Sydney Morning Herald
'Enlightening, surprising, absorbing .. I learned something every chapter and put the book down full of awe at the power of human beings to be good to each other when no-one would expect it. It's the book I needed to read right now. It filled my cup.' Annabel Crabb
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Julia Baird’s Bright Shining is a brilliantly reflective exploration of the concept of grace. In this non-fiction gem, the journalist and author delves into the complexities of grace, highlighting how it requires both grit and strength to manifest in our daily existence. Drawing on cultural contexts and personal experiences, she dismantles the notion of forgiveness as an absolute concept, instead inviting readers on a contemplative journey. With a writing style that mirrors her own curious spirit, Baird emphasises how dwelling in the natural world and witnessing its daily miracles is her preferred path towards creating positive social change. Supported by research, Bright Shining is a gentle argument for grace and, like grace itself, allows readers to learn, change, and find the beauty we often overlook in the world.
Customer Reviews
Powerful
A moment to pause and tune into the grace that is all around us.