4 out of 4 stars
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Sandra Worsham tells us her journey of sexuality in the memoir, Going To Wings. Sandra is her own narrator, slowly leading us through her life from her late 20's to the present. She highlights all the important people in her life as she consistently puts her faith in God, and the inner struggle with loving women. From her first lover to her current wife, you see the narrow views and ideals for how it was back in 1975 or and how "The word lesbian was equivalent to saying whore or murderer." All the strong women figures she looks up became an intricate part of her story, and how she felt about being gay.
There were so many parts of this book that evoked a lot of emotion. One of my favorite reasons I loved her story revolved around her faith. With the majority of her life being Catholic, this spoke to me in volumes as I grew up Catholic myself. It helped me relate to her much more, especially mentioning so many parts of the faith that may be unfamiliar to many other readers like communion, confession, or the Eucharist. It's also quite well known that Catholics believe that being a lesbian or gay isn't ok, that marriage is just meant for a man and women. Sandra touches on this subject well in her book, and I appreciated her openness and outlook on this. The theme of religion is such an integral and important part of her story. Her constant dilemma with God about how she should feel towards other women also brought me a deeper connection to this book and to the author.
Another huge part I loved about this book was the way she talked about her sexuality and desires. Sandra's descriptive dialogue about her surroundings, tastes, and touch kept me interested and invested in her story as she goes through each phase of her life. The way she views her sexuality changes as she matures, and it's such a fresh perspective. No matter if you are gay or straight, you feel all the emotion and struggle as she tries forcing herself to be "normal" for the longest time. The crossroads she faces, from attempting to tell her mom to leaving her loveless marriage to a man are things that many of us readers can sympathize with.
The incessant talking about the bible is something the author could have left out. There were quite a few long passages from the bible. Although some of it was relevant, most of it could have been taken out of her story. It took away from her storytelling, and how she was portraying herself. Plus this book is more than just religion, it's a journey of self-acceptance and being proud of who you are.
I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. Incredibly well written, her story flowed well and it was easy to read for such a complex subject. Her writing gives all readers a strong bond to her, as well as the intense emotions that come out the deeper you read. I would recommend this book to adults or young teens over the age of 16 who struggle with their sexuality or just enjoy reading a well-written book.
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Going to Wings
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