Holy Troublemakers and Unconventional Saints,
by Daneen Akers
(Watchfire Media: 2019)
Reviewed by Kerry Greenhill
Daneen Akers has gathered a compelling collection of stories of 36 “people of faith who have worked for love, compassion, and justice in their corners of the world and eras, even when that meant rocking the religious boat” (Preface, p. 2). She writes to fill a gap in the bookshelves of families with a progressive perspective on faith, highlighting in particular the stories of those fighting for the rights of women, LGBTQ+ folx, and people of color.
My own children are still younger than the target age range of 3rd – 5th grade, so I have been reading the stories for myself so far. I recognized many of the names in the table of contents, but others were new to me. I appreciate the mix of historical figures (e.g., St. Francis, Anne Hutchinson, Florence Nightingale, Rumi) and individuals from the 20th and 21st centuries. I especially value the inclusion of people from diverse racial/ethnic identities, and from faiths other than Christianity. The illustrations, or I should say, portraits – each by a different artist – are stunning, and I only wish more information were available about the artists.
Each person’s story is told in a few pages, with language appropriate to middle-grade readers, and includes highlighted words defined in a glossary at the back. Akers tells the stories well, drawing the reader in to the person’s context and life experience with a narrative combination of quotations, historical facts, and “sanctified imagination,” a term she introduces in the story of Fr. Broderick Greer. Each story ends with a simple question for reflection or discussion that could be as fruitful for adolescents and adults as for younger children.
I highly recommend this book for parents who are spiritual seekers or progressive people of faith, as well as for children’s ministers, youth ministers, pastors, and teachers in faith-based settings.
Disclaimer: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
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Holy Wholeness 