Daughters of the Goddess

Inspiring, eye-opening, what is possible for all of us, what we are when all else is stripped away. So different from the heroes (sic) in this culture whom we tend to pick for fame and fortune, not for heart, spirit and sainthood.

This book is one of the most insperational books that I have read regarding women in spirituality. It is so good that I bought it after checking it out from the library.

In this time of the renaissance of the divine femine, Linda Johnsen has written a wonderful book that reveals the beautiful and ancient tradition of Goddess energy and women saints in India, and introduces the reader to contemporary women who embody the many aspects of the Goddess, as incarnations of her, and who are alive and active today. Her accounts of living, traveling with, and encountering these remarkable women, are fascinating glimpses into the wisdom and transformative energy that they embody and share with many around the world. She writes as an observer, a scholar, and a devotee, and does so with respect, fascination, reverence and chronicles her own transformation in her meetings with these living women saints. This book offers a fascinating glimpse into the history and daily life of the avatars living amongst us, and the strong Goddess tradition of their homeland and heritage. It is a unique and heartening book which contains humor, storytelling, history, wisdom, and written from a perspective that only a women could do in her study of the mysteries and beauty of the Goddess and her daughters, in all her aspects. Read this book and let the women that she encounterd grace you with their presence as well, through their photos, words, and energy, for the Goddess lives through them, and in this book you can become acquainted with them, as the author did. I appreciate this book immensely, for it is a wonderful forum and introduction to the women who are incarnations of the Goddess, and who are revealed in a personal way so well by the author.

An inspiring and informative first hand account of some of the women alive today (or at least until 1980) from India who embody the living goddess tradition of South Asia. As a westerner who's both seen some of these women for myself and been to India, I find this book a great introduction to the Indian culture as well as a glimpse of what it's like to be in the presence of such women of power. The book is written in an immediate, narrative style and not the dry academic style of many older books on the subject. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put this book down until I was done!

Although somewhat light-weight, Daughters of the Goddess is a worthy text on a fascinating topic. Author Johnsen interviews several Hindu women saints; all but one alive today. She discusses their backgrounds, their beliefs, and the miracles attributed to them, as well as her personal impressions. There are times when the author seems too naive; too uninformed about Hindu Goddesses, too incredulous in her approach. But overall, she presents beautiful, spiritual and fair-minded summaries of the lives of some very important women you've probably never heard of.