Status
Available
Genres
Publication
New York : Viking, 2009.
Description
A wise and involving book about feminine thresholds, spiritual growth, and renewal, "Traveling with Pomegranates" is a revealing self-portrait by the beloved author of "The Secret Life of Bees" and her daughter, a writer in the making.
Media reviews
Associated Press
This book is heavy on introspection and light on plot, but any mother or daughter would enjoy and relate to the touching struggle of developing a close relationship as adult women.
It’s an unrelentingly saccharine book, in which the two writers take turns spoon-feeding readers the Meaning of It All. No symbol is left unexplained (at length, and with frequency); no opportunity to preach is untaken. The unexplored life may not be worth living, as Socrates once said, but it
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turns out the overexplored life is no picnic, either. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member MarthaHuntley
A friend of mine read this book and loved it, passing it on to me. Wish I could say I liked it, but I did not. I read it quickly, first to get to the Paris part, and then to finish it to give back to my friend. I found both women, mother and author Sue Monk KIdd and her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor;
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totally self-absorbed. They were traveling the world, with other people, but seeing only their own interior lives. Both were in transition periods and that may have accounted for and excused some of their being totally wrapped up in themselves, but it made for terribly dull reading, and was a big disappointment to someone who had just come back from a trip to Paris with her daughters! Also, I got the distinct impression both women are quite introspective and their own emotional and spiritual temperatures are what is of the most compelling interest to them. Their feminism struck me as being more narrow than broadening or freeing. From their few comments about their husbands, both seem to be married to very fine men, but they both brush off their husbands and have next to no references to any masculine influence at all. I can't imagine a man enjoying this book, though I imagine some women who identify with the different stages of their lives and their relationship with each other, will, as my friend did. Another thing that really bothered me is that the writers construct their own spiritual "trinity" of Athena, Joan of Arc, and Mary, and pray to them. Sue and Ann consider themselves very spiritual, but I thought they seem to be separated from spiritual truth, and certainly from biblical truths. Their spirituality seems to be a self-construct of paganism and self actualization. Interestingly, Ann Kidd Taylor, the daughter, a neophyte, writes better, I thought, than her mother, the experienced author -- Ann's voice is more conversational and clearer, and she communicates better, but then Sue Monk KIdd's writing has always seemed somewhat labored and pretentious to me. Show Less
LibraryThing member ifionlyhada
I enjoyed the traveling journal of Sue Monk Kidd and her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor. I suggested that my mother read it and she enjoyed it too. It is an exploration of an adult relationship between a mother and daughter who show a lot of repect for each other as human beings. The go through a lot of
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situations that hit home with me. Show Less
LibraryThing member TooBusyReading
Every mother and daughter have distinct stories to tell, and this book proves that not every story has to be about dysfunction, abuse, addiction. Written in alternating chapters by Sue and daughter Ann, the book is interesting and, for the most part, well-written. I liked it but I didn't love it,
Sue is turning 50 and becomes almost obsessed with menopause, Old Woman and Crone images. Ann receives a rejection letter and becomes depressed, doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. The two travel together, learning more about themselves and each other. Dreams are almost endlessly recounted and interpreted, and that did become a bit boring to me.
I loved Sue's book The Secret Life of Bees, and enjoyed reading how that book came about. I also enjoyed learning more about the Black Madonnas. I enjoyed Eat Pray Love even though it had as much if not more self-absorption and more self-indulgence, so I don't know why this book occasionally just rubbed me the wrong way. Still, I think it is a good, solid book of introspection, especially for would-be writers interested in how other authors write
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for the same reason that many people did not like Eat Pray Love: there is so much self-absorption by people of relative privilege. Sue is turning 50 and becomes almost obsessed with menopause, Old Woman and Crone images. Ann receives a rejection letter and becomes depressed, doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. The two travel together, learning more about themselves and each other. Dreams are almost endlessly recounted and interpreted, and that did become a bit boring to me.
I loved Sue's book The Secret Life of Bees, and enjoyed reading how that book came about. I also enjoyed learning more about the Black Madonnas. I enjoyed Eat Pray Love even though it had as much if not more self-absorption and more self-indulgence, so I don't know why this book occasionally just rubbed me the wrong way. Still, I think it is a good, solid book of introspection, especially for would-be writers interested in how other authors write
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LibraryThing member beata
When one author succeeds with one book and writes another one about writing the first one, it looks suspicious to me. Preachy about feminine aspect of divine. Mother-daughter relationship kind of interesting, shows well on audio when alternating chapters are read by respective authors.
LibraryThing member bookfest
Sue Monk Kidd ends this memoir with an apt quote from Anais Nin, “We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection.” [Traveling with Pomegranates] is a personal journey for both Sue Monk Kidd and her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor. As they journey in Greece and France, each of these
The most interesting aspects of this memoir relate to Sue Monk Kidd’s novel [The Secret Life of Bees]. During her travels, Sue Monk Kidd develops a personal religion melded from a cult of Mary, classical mythology, and ancient goddesses which forms the basis of the unique Mary/goddess worship that takes place in the novel. The author also describes her struggles to shape the work and her intriguing use of a montage of seemingly random pictures as an “outline” for the novel.
Ann Kidd Taylor’s writing pales in comparison to her mother’s complex examination of the interrelationships of myth and life.
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women is finding herself while simultaneously re-forging the mother and daughter relationship. Sue struggles to find creative energy in herself as she faces 50. Ann, depressed and withdrawn after being rejected from graduate school, searches for a direction in life. The most interesting aspects of this memoir relate to Sue Monk Kidd’s novel [The Secret Life of Bees]. During her travels, Sue Monk Kidd develops a personal religion melded from a cult of Mary, classical mythology, and ancient goddesses which forms the basis of the unique Mary/goddess worship that takes place in the novel. The author also describes her struggles to shape the work and her intriguing use of a montage of seemingly random pictures as an “outline” for the novel.
Ann Kidd Taylor’s writing pales in comparison to her mother’s complex examination of the interrelationships of myth and life.
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LibraryThing member libraryclerk
Interesting back and forth story of mother/daughter relationship. Both Sue and Ann read their story. It was interesting for me because Sue lets us in on her background for writing The Secret Life of Bees. Ann tells of her desire to become a writer but struggled with the idea that people would
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compare her with her mother. Interesting history of Greek mythology as they traveled looking for the "mary" of SLoB as well as comparing themselves with Demeter’s loss (Sue) and Persephone’s transformation (Ann). Lots of symbolism for both ladies are mentioned and explained. Show Less
LibraryThing member ofabookworm
Spectacular, spectacular, spectacular mother-daughter read. Received as a gift from my own mother, and can't speak highly enough about it. With enough humor to avoid falling into sappy territory, enough poignancy to avoid being boring, and enough meaning to resonate with any mother or daughter, Sue
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Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor have created an enjoyable, wonderful, touching story to share with their readers. Show Less
LibraryThing member 23Cosas
Relationship between a mother turning 50 (and entering a new phase in life) and her 20 something daughter becoming an independant woman.
LibraryThing member kakadoo202
had the audio book. wanted to give up at the second CD btut then was drawn into the story the forth and back between mother and daughter. made me sad since my relationshio with my mother is not as open but wants be to improve on it.
LibraryThing member ammurphy
a pleasant continuation of the previous book, Dance of the dissident daughter.
LibraryThing member bearette24
This is the true story of Sue Monk Kidd's and her daughter's exploration of "sacred places" in Greece, Turkey and France. I found this memoir fascinating on several levels. It seamlessly combined Greek mythology, the creative process, mother-daughter relationships and feminist spirituality. I had
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read Sue Monk Kidd's two novels previously, and I thought her daughter was equally (if not more) talented as a writer. I hope she writes more. Show Less
LibraryThing member thewindowseatreader
Overall, I would recommend this to those of you who like spiritual journeys and emotional awakenings - even if this does not always amount to the most exciting reading. I am glad I completed this memoir, and I feel as if I was able to learn a bit more about myself along the way.
LibraryThing member Apolline
In this book we meet the author Sue Monk Kidd and her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor. They are on a journey together, both in the physical world and the spiritual one. Ann has just finished college, been dumped by her boyfriend and been rejected to her chosen grad school. Her self-confidence has reach
This is a mother-daughter story, of Sue and Ann, Demeter and Persephone. This is the story of personal belief and personal growth, of the virgin Mary, Athene and Jeanne d'Arc. It is the story of finding yourself, who you want to be and what you want to do. We also get the back story to Sue Monk Kidd's book The Secret Life of Bees.
The book was gentle, easy and fulfilling. I could certainly relate to both mother and daughter, though I might have more in common with the daughter (this being an age issue). The problems they talk about are so universal, probably felt by many women all over the world, every day. Who am I, what is the meaning of my life, what am I supposed to do, am I good enough. It is not a book filled with action, but thought provoking to the extend you might start asking yourself the same questions. I liked it.
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the freezing point, and the uncertain feeling of not knowing what to do with her life leads her straight into depression. Her mother, Sue, takes on a trip Ann to Greece, not knowing how to help her daughter out of her depressing state. Sue is struggling with her own problems, like not being able to let her grown children go, she is also confronted with her fear of growing old. This is a mother-daughter story, of Sue and Ann, Demeter and Persephone. This is the story of personal belief and personal growth, of the virgin Mary, Athene and Jeanne d'Arc. It is the story of finding yourself, who you want to be and what you want to do. We also get the back story to Sue Monk Kidd's book The Secret Life of Bees.
The book was gentle, easy and fulfilling. I could certainly relate to both mother and daughter, though I might have more in common with the daughter (this being an age issue). The problems they talk about are so universal, probably felt by many women all over the world, every day. Who am I, what is the meaning of my life, what am I supposed to do, am I good enough. It is not a book filled with action, but thought provoking to the extend you might start asking yourself the same questions. I liked it.
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LibraryThing member LesaHolstine
Traveling with Pomegranates isn't a travel book. It isn't the story of a mother and daughter. It's not an analysis of the changes in a woman's life, or the search for the strength and divinity in ourselves. Instead, authors Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor have combined all of those elements in a
In 1998, when Sue Monk Kidd took her daughter, Ann, to Greece, both women were going through major transitions in life. Sue, turning fifty, felt as if she was losing her daughter to adulthood, and losing herself to old age. She had already moved from her home of twenty-two years to Charleston. She combined the trip as a birthday gift to herself and a graduation gift to Ann. This was Sue's pilgrimage, an odyssey at the approach of fifty, a way to acknowledge changes in her life, and her relationship with her daughter and her own mother. Ann, a shy introvert, had been rejected by her chosen grad school. This was her first trip back after an extraordinary journey that woke her interest in Greece. Now, she was depressed, unsure of herself, and felt rejected. She saw her mother as a strong woman who followed her own heart.
This first trip together to Greece was a turning point. Sue was the one who saw the comparison to Demeter and Persephone, "the intersection of mothers and daughters," forced to part ways. While Ann had taken Athena as an icon on her earlier trip, Sue was entranced with the story of Demeter, and fascinated with Mary, particularly in the form of the Black Madonna. Their later trips together, to France, and back to Greece, brought all of the icons together for the two women. They also brought their own fears and goals into focus.
Anyone who read Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees will be fascinated by her chronicle of her evolving interest in bees, the image of Mary, and the writing of that book. The travels of this mother and daughter brought both of them to writing. Sue finally wrote the novels she wanted to write. Ann found her goal in life. Traveling with Pomegranates bogs down at times with too much introspection about Mary and the divinity in women, but, even so, it's a fascinating story of the evolution of two women, in their lives, and their relationship with each other, and their dreams for the future.
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book that spans ten years.In 1998, when Sue Monk Kidd took her daughter, Ann, to Greece, both women were going through major transitions in life. Sue, turning fifty, felt as if she was losing her daughter to adulthood, and losing herself to old age. She had already moved from her home of twenty-two years to Charleston. She combined the trip as a birthday gift to herself and a graduation gift to Ann. This was Sue's pilgrimage, an odyssey at the approach of fifty, a way to acknowledge changes in her life, and her relationship with her daughter and her own mother. Ann, a shy introvert, had been rejected by her chosen grad school. This was her first trip back after an extraordinary journey that woke her interest in Greece. Now, she was depressed, unsure of herself, and felt rejected. She saw her mother as a strong woman who followed her own heart.
This first trip together to Greece was a turning point. Sue was the one who saw the comparison to Demeter and Persephone, "the intersection of mothers and daughters," forced to part ways. While Ann had taken Athena as an icon on her earlier trip, Sue was entranced with the story of Demeter, and fascinated with Mary, particularly in the form of the Black Madonna. Their later trips together, to France, and back to Greece, brought all of the icons together for the two women. They also brought their own fears and goals into focus.
Anyone who read Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees will be fascinated by her chronicle of her evolving interest in bees, the image of Mary, and the writing of that book. The travels of this mother and daughter brought both of them to writing. Sue finally wrote the novels she wanted to write. Ann found her goal in life. Traveling with Pomegranates bogs down at times with too much introspection about Mary and the divinity in women, but, even so, it's a fascinating story of the evolution of two women, in their lives, and their relationship with each other, and their dreams for the future.
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LibraryThing member FishHeaven
What can I say but Sue Monk Kidd has done it once again! This is the debut novel for her daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor, and is written by both women. The book largely centers on their travels to Greece, Turkey and France. It is written reflections on how the different locations they visit impact them
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individually as well as the telling of how a mother-daughter relationship transforms over time. I devoured this book and found myself being able to relate to both Sue and Ann in different portions of their journey. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in discovering more about themselves as they travel with the authors to these ancient and sacred places. Show Less
LibraryThing member bobbieharv
Interesting alternating chapters describing events from both the mother and daughter's points of view. Pretty well-written, and although there were a few too many goddesses and Mary references for me, I liked their emotional openness.
LibraryThing member kyragtopgirl
A good book if you have a daughter. I don't, but it was still a pleasant read.
LibraryThing member cyderry
Sue Monk Kidd is a writer (Secret Loves of Bees) but she is also a woman and mother. This book, co-authored with her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor, is about their lives and their relationship with and to each other.
The story is very spiritual in that Sue sees herself and Anne as a modern Demeter and
The progression from Greece and the Demeter/Persephone comparison (pomegranate charms that they wore) move on in another year to Paris where they are engrossed in the Jeanne d'Arc and then a return to Greece after Ann's marriage and their connection with Black Madonnas is filled with introspection and self-analysis.
This isn't the type of book that I normally read, but I found it interesting that a mother and Daughter would be this close. The descriptions of their travels were also enjoyable.
The story is very spiritual in that Sue sees herself and Anne as a modern Demeter and
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Persephone. Sue, with health issues, projects her own fears of growing old, while Ann, shows a lack of self-confidence to go forward with her life and relationships. But as they travel and see the ancient world and hear its tales, they see that their fears and uncertainties need not stop them from doing what they want to do. The progression from Greece and the Demeter/Persephone comparison (pomegranate charms that they wore) move on in another year to Paris where they are engrossed in the Jeanne d'Arc and then a return to Greece after Ann's marriage and their connection with Black Madonnas is filled with introspection and self-analysis.
This isn't the type of book that I normally read, but I found it interesting that a mother and Daughter would be this close. The descriptions of their travels were also enjoyable.
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LibraryThing member bhagerty
Light, but worth reading, the daughter's writing is weaker than the mother's, so sometimes I skimmed. Makes me want to go to Greece.
LibraryThing member etxgardener
The only reason I finished this book is because it is a selection for one of my book groups. While I really liked Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, this book, co-written with her daughter, was one tedious page after another of the women taking turns moaning about their first world problems while
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seeking spiritual sustenance on expensive European vacations. Spare me! Show Less
LibraryThing member keneumey
I was very disappointed in this book. It looks like a mother-daughter travel memoir, but really it's about depression and a mid-life crisis. I found it very difficult to relate to the mother's chagrin over being 50 and having a grown daughter. Partly that's because I'm in a different life stage,
I related more to the daughter, but while depression is a topic I understand very well, I wish she had directed more of her attention outside of herself, at least in writing the memoir, even if she weren't able to while traveling.
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but Kidd wallows at such length that I had trouble mustering any empathy.I related more to the daughter, but while depression is a topic I understand very well, I wish she had directed more of her attention outside of herself, at least in writing the memoir, even if she weren't able to while traveling.
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LibraryThing member bell7
Sue is dealing with turning fifty, an aging body and a new realization of her mortality. Her daughter Ann, at twenty-two, has received a rejection letter for grad school that has her questioning her purpose in life and her own self-worth. Both are redefining their relationship, as Ann has become a
Told in alternating chapters, Sue and Ann share their internal struggles and joys as they travel in Greece, Turkey, and more. Sue especially is in search for the divine feminine and what she calls the "Old Woman," a sort of dimension she believes needs to be added to her spirituality. Ann struggles with depression and has an ongoing search to become less of a wallflower. Together, they tell the story of their joint travels - the external becoming a metaphor for the internal. Both women are incredibly introspective, to me quite frustratingly so as I prefer the concrete to metaphors, and boy is this metaphor heavy (Greek myths, understandably, figure hugely). My library categorizes this book as Travel Essays, but this is rather a misnomer as it has less to do with where they go and what they see as it is what they felt and experienced. If you like that, great. But I generally found it very hard to connect, especially with Sue, though I did enjoy the portions that dealt with images that found their way into The Secret Life of Bees. Ann is closer to my age and I can somewhat remember working through my own "finding my purpose in life" time, though not thinking nearly so much or so deeply.
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young woman and Sue begins to interact with her not just as a daughter but as a fellow adult and friend. Told in alternating chapters, Sue and Ann share their internal struggles and joys as they travel in Greece, Turkey, and more. Sue especially is in search for the divine feminine and what she calls the "Old Woman," a sort of dimension she believes needs to be added to her spirituality. Ann struggles with depression and has an ongoing search to become less of a wallflower. Together, they tell the story of their joint travels - the external becoming a metaphor for the internal. Both women are incredibly introspective, to me quite frustratingly so as I prefer the concrete to metaphors, and boy is this metaphor heavy (Greek myths, understandably, figure hugely). My library categorizes this book as Travel Essays, but this is rather a misnomer as it has less to do with where they go and what they see as it is what they felt and experienced. If you like that, great. But I generally found it very hard to connect, especially with Sue, though I did enjoy the portions that dealt with images that found their way into The Secret Life of Bees. Ann is closer to my age and I can somewhat remember working through my own "finding my purpose in life" time, though not thinking nearly so much or so deeply.
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LibraryThing member Darwa
I found the story of how Sue Monk Kidd conceptualized and wrote her novel, The Secret Life of Bees, to be very interesting (and educational too!). I thoroughly enjoyed both author's descriptions of the traditions and rituals that have meaning to them and loved how Sue created her own ceremonial
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observances to help her process events in her own life. However I found the back and forth of chapters between mother and daughter to be forced and contrived much of the time, which detracted from the overall book. Show Less
LibraryThing member lietza
Powerful insights.
LibraryThing member cubsfan3410
Picked up as a book club selection at our library and enjoyed it much more than I anticipated. It's a wonderful dual perspective on mother/daughter travels
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