Book Review: "God Is A Black Woman"

When COVID hit in 2020 I took on a couple of specific reading projects. We were all at home so I decided to pick a few topics and dive deep into them. One of the areas I was interested in was the Divine Feminine. I read a number of books during that time including “The Dance Of The Dissident Daughter” by Sue Monk Kidd and then I also read “The Way Of The Rose” by Clark Strand and Perdita Finn.

So when a friend texted me and said that if I liked Sue Monk Kidd’s story that I should check out “God Is A Black Woman” by Christina Cleveland. I did. This book mostly reads like a life journal and follows Christina’s story of growing up black in a white world and discovering that her ideas of God were extremely limited. She finds comfort in the discovery of the Black Madonnas.

This journal story-telling style reminded me so much of Sue Monk Kidd’s book. I enjoyed her conversation about the Black Madonnas because I had read “The Rose” book which explores the images of the Holy Mother in way more detail. Unique to Christina’s story is how she goes on a pilgrimage and interacts with these beautiful representations of grace and mercy. Her own story seems reflected in the faces of the Black Madonnas she encounters. She went through a lot of life moments in this book and it is beautiful how her faith grows in unexpected ways.

If you are an audible person, she reads the book there which I always prefer.