Awakening Wonder

“Awakening Wonder” by Sally Clarkson

Review by Gwen Parkhill

I have a mom crush on Sally Clarkson. She is the mentor I have always longed for and her writing never disappoints. Her new book, Awaking Wonder, is one of my all-time favourites. I had the great pleasure of listening to it as an audiobook read by the author, and even the simple sound of Sally's voice has such a richness of a life well lived, full of faith and genuine love. 

Awaking Wonder is Sally's reflection on her heart posture and general philosophy behind homeschooling her four, now grown, children. It is a book that looks at what it takes to create a family culture and home atmosphere that loves learning because in it there is a deep and genuine love for the Creator of all knowledge. And although this book is about homeschooling, it is not necessarily for homeschooling families. As Sally rightly attests, if you are a parent you are a teacher and mentor, and your home is a canvas upon which you paint the backdrop of your children's lives. 

This book is beautifully inspiring. It is alive with passion and grace, with the reality of hard days parenting and the deeper reality of God's great gift of being a parent. I loved every word, from the idealism to the practicality. And I took it all to heart because I have also read the work of all four of Sally's children (yes they are all published authors) and I have seen the fruit of her years of labouring to build a home that immersed her family in the best of literature, art, philosophy, research, and above all, genuine faith. I can't imagine any parent reading this book and not walking away feeling refreshed and ready to keep on giving their all for their family.