In sparse and poetic language, Darcey Steinke details her
journey upon her very rocky path to God and spirituality. The oldest child of a
Lutheran minister and former beauty queen, Steinke spent her early childhood
moving about the country following her father’s church appointments. While growing up
‘churched’, it was common for Darcey to accompany her father on home visits, to
the scenes of accidents and even concoct communion wine that she dangerously
served up to the neighbor-kids.
Because
of the ever present tension between her parents, her mother’s fog of depression
and her father’s disinterest in his own family’s faith formation, Steinke launched
into young adulthood with an insatiable appetite for inner peace and
acceptance. Her search led her to a series of affairs and sexual encounters,
drinking, drugs and conversations with assorted spiritual gurus. In ‘Easter
Everywhere’, Steinke’s writing is often compared to that of author Annie Lamont
– and I definitely agree with the comparison. Like Lamont, Steinke’s path to a
relationship with God is twisted but I appreciate that both authors have voices
that ring true and they tell their stories with a no-holds-barred attitude. In this
book, Steinke exposes her frailties, mistakes, and reveals her deepest doubts. For
me, it is her candor that kept me engaged until the very end of the book.
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