A Renaissance of Our Own, Rachel E. Cargle
A Renaissance of Our Own, Rachel E. Cargle
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A Renaissance of Our Own
A Memoir & Manifesto on Reimagining

Author: Rachel E. Cargle

Narrator: Rachel E. Cargle

Unabridged: 5 hr 51 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/16/2023


Synopsis

From a highly lauded modern voice in feminism and racial justice comes a deeply personal and insightful testament to the power of reimagining to dismantle the frameworks and systems that no longer serve us while building new ones that do.

“Powerful . . . You will leave these pages changed for the better.”—Gabrielle Union, New York Times bestselling author of We’re Going to Need More Wine

There are breaking points in all our lives when we realize that the way things have been done before just don’t work for us anymore, be it the way we approach our relationships, our belief systems, our work, our education, even our rest. For activist, philanthropist, and CEO Rachel E. Cargle, reimagining—the act of creating in our minds that which does not exist but that we believe can and should—has been a lifelong process. Reimagining served as the most powerful catalyst for Cargle’s personal transformation from a small-town Christian wife to an incisive queer feminist voice of a generation.

In A Renaissance of Our Own, we witness the sometimes painful but always inspiring breaking points in Cargle’s life that fostered a truer identity. These defining moments offer a blueprint for how we must all use our imagination—the space that sees beyond limits—to live in alignment with our highest values and to craft a world independent of oppressive structures, both personal and societal. Cargle now invites you to acknowledge ways of being that stem from societal expectations instead of your personal truth, and to embark on a renaissance of your own. She provides the very tools and prompts that she used to unearth her own truth, tools that opened her up to being a more authentic feminist and purpose-driven matriarchal leader. 

A Renaissance of Our Own gives us the courage to look at the world and say “I want something different.” It serves as a reminder of the power and possibility of reimagining a life that feels right, all the way down to the marrow of your bones.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Hannah on March 12, 2025

Beautiful, inspiring, educational. I'd like to know this woman and her work more. Definitely someone who qualifies as "having pulled herself up by her bootstraps." Hate that retort from racists who insist their privilege had nothing to do with their success, even fail to acknowledge any privilege th......more

Goodreads review by BookOfCinz on September 24, 2023

As someone whose done a lot of re-imaging in the past, this book felt great to read.......more

Goodreads review by Míchelle on June 04, 2023

I have admired and respected Rachel’s bold and easeful living for years. This book is like being inside of her diary while writing in my own. Her bold vulnerability is activism in and of itself. Read this book only if you are ready to dream and reimagine the life you choose.......more

Goodreads review by Rachel Nagle on May 21, 2023

I love how she has continued to “learn outloud” and create her own path of education and success. I learned/unlearned most from her chapter on feminism, and appreciated her words on rest.......more

Goodreads review by Shawntel (read_with_shawntel) on May 05, 2023

I have been a follower of Rachel’s for many years. She has always been unfailing kind to allow the public to have access to her life and experiences. Not just for consumption but so that we may learn, grow, and do better. This memoir is no different. Rachel gives deep insight into her own journey bu......more


Quotes

“Dazzling—a loving, bold tale of imagination, bravery, and radical action in the face of injustice . . . Through an account of Cargle’s own complicated life journey, she provides a framework for our own acts of courage as brutality threatens to strip us of humanity.”Elle

“I loved and admired this book as much as I have always loved and admired its author. Rachel Cargle is that rare sort of phoenix who rises from the ashes of her life not only reborn on the personal level but also fully ready to change the world. A Renaissance of Our Own is an elegant, thoughtful, vulnerable, and inspiring memoir. May this book land in a million hands, all over the world.”—Elizabeth Gilbert, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Magic

“Magical. Shape-shifting. Cargle recounts how she spun silk out of the threadbare yarns of patriarchy and white supremacy while reminding readers that such alchemy is possible for them, too. Such wonder is inevitable if we give ourselves permission to reimagine our existence and re-create ourselves in our own divine image.”—Sonya Renee Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of The Body Is Not an Apology

“What a beautiful offering and gentle invitation Rachel Cargle has extended with A Renaissance of Our Own. I felt the pull to really slow down and sit with both her stories and my own. This book is not meant to be simply consumed but explored.”—Joy Harden Bradford, PhD, founder of the award-winning Therapy for Black Girls and author of Sisterhood Heals

“A profoundly moving and powerful story of how one woman transformed both herself and her community while giving us the tools to do the same . . . Rachel shows that the closer we get to our own true light, the brighter we may shine for the world. You will celebrate, you will mourn, but ultimately you will leave these pages changed for the better.”—Gabrielle Union, New York Times bestselling author of We’re Going to Need More Wine

“Rachel Cargle has given us the gift of an interactive memoir that allows readers to expand into our own renaissance while witnessing hers. She is visionary, revolutionary, unapologetic, and deeply self-loving, reclaiming herself from conditioning that tried to shrink her. In telling her story, Rachel Cargle makes more room for each of us.”—Adrienne Maree Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good

“Cargle’s self-help memoir is highly recommended for DEI and LGTBQ+ collections and women of all ages who want to renew and rethink their purpose in life.”Booklist (starred review)
 
“A vulnerable look at one activist’s long journey of deconstruction, healing, and reimagining of the toxic societal structure meant to oppress marginalized identities.”Kirkus Reviews