I Want To Be Left Behind: Finding Rapture Here On Earth (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
Brenda Peterson was the first born in an educated family who who adhered to the beliefs of the Southern Baptist church that by living a good life they would be taken in the Rapture. And they were waiting with hope for the Rapture. All except her. She loved the natural world and could not understand why her family, especially her father, wanted to leave the beautiful world God had created. Her father worked for the U.S. Forest Service and taught her from a young age about nature. As she grew older she was in constant conflict with her family members over her beliefs and later her political positions. She included Eastern religions,Native American as well as Christianity and Judaism in her developing faith journey. When family discussions led to the end times, conflict ensued. The memoir is, in part, how she came to a reconciliation with her family while holding firm to her own beliefs. Peterson writes with enough humor about her family to know that she loves them. Her descriptions of activities in outdoor settings also demonstrate her lasting love for the environment and all that belongs to the natural world. This was a thoughtful presentation on developing, understanding and living truthfully with one’s own faith while being tolerant of others'. It is a memoir about living in a family with strong-minded parents and siblings who are loved yet whose beliefs are rejected. And it is a treatise on loving, living with and protecting the natural world. Peterson provides a very interesting, and quite humorous at times, rendition of her journey into an appreciation of the environment that is both spiritual and personal, but basically rejects the religious biases of her family and the organizations that they represent and defend so fiercely. She presents the journey in a way that assures the reader that there has been no personal rift between her and her family--only a philosophical difference as it pertains to deeply-held beliefs and conclusions.
What do You think about I Want To Be Left Behind: Finding Rapture Here On Earth (2010)?
Hilarious - and I hope she has more books in her. This was so much fun.
—Rika
I really liked this book, a great read. I recommend it.
—TheStrElene
Adding it based solely on the title:)
—lookingforkatherine
