This Here Flesh

Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us

De: Cole Arthur Riley

Narrado por: Cole Arthur Riley

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In her stunning debut, the creator of Black Liturgies weaves stories from three generations of her family alongside contemplative reflections to discover the “necessary rituals” that connect us with our belonging, dignity, and liberation.

“This is the kind of book that makes you different when you’re done.”—Ashley C. Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Somebody’s Daughter

“Reaches deep beneath the surface of words unspoken, wounds unhealed, and secrets untempered to break them open in order for fresh light to break through.”—Morgan Jerkins, New York Times bestselling author of This Will Be My Undoing and Caul Baby

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Root, Library Journal

“From the womb, we must repeat with regularity that to love ourselves is to survive. I believe that is what my father wanted for me and knew I would so desperately need: a tool for survival, the truth of my dignity named like a mercy new each morning.”

So writes Cole Arthur Riley in her unforgettable book of stories and reflections on discovering the sacred in her skin. In these deeply transporting pages, Arthur Riley reflects on the stories of her grandmother and father, and how they revealed to her an embodied, dignity-affirming spirituality, not only in what they believed but in the act of living itself. Writing memorably of her own childhood and coming to self, Arthur Riley boldly explores some of the most urgent questions of life and faith: How can spirituality not silence the body, but instead allow it to come alive? How do we honor, lament, and heal from the stories we inherit? How can we find peace in a world overtaken with dislocation, noise, and unrest? In this indelible work of contemplative storytelling, Arthur Riley invites us to descend into our own stories, examine our capacity to rest, wonder, joy, rage, and repair, and find that our humanity is not an enemy to faith but evidence of it.

At once a compelling spiritual meditation, a powerful intergenerational account, and a tender coming-of-age narrative, This Here Flesh speaks potently to anyone who suspects that our stories might have something to say to us.

Right on time!

My soul needed this book in a time I didn’t even know what I needed. The poetic pen and the contemplative disposition helped me connect with myself and with God in refreshing ways. I also appreciate the calm and confident voice in the audible version of the book. Truly thankful!

wow

I was touched and inspired and changed. deep bow to the author. highly recommend this book.

A must read.

One of the books I wept in the car too. I’ll be getting the paperback version too.

A new contemplative classic

This will be my contemplative meditation for years to come. Thank you for sharing your heart and soul, CAR!

Telling Your Truth

Cole Arthur Riley offered us her truth allowing us to tell our truth in order to be free.

Healing

I found this book to be healing to my spirit, especially after the pain of the pandemic. It has been years since a Christian book spoke to me like this. Cole Arthur Riley puts words to truths and pain that I couldn’t identify. Listening to the author read her book in her calm, determined voice allowed me to hear it the way it was meant.

A Sacred Reading

Your soul will find liberation and a language communicated by love and fullness of truth!

Exceptional

This was my second time reading this book, and I have to say, it felt like a completely new experience through Audible. Cole Arthur Riley’s narration breathed life into every page, bringing out layers of meaning and emotion I didn’t fully grasp the first time. Her voice carried the depth, warmth, and cadence that made the words resonate in a fresh and powerful way. Listening felt less like reading and more like being invited into a living, unfolding true story. If you’ve read this book before, I highly recommend experiencing it again through her narration - you’ll discover it all over again and have a deeper appreciation for moving literary works.

Five minutes in and I knew I would read this over and over

Such a profound book. I can’t stop thinking about it and plan to read it often.

Amazing!

While the author beautifully articulates her story, so much resonated for me and my own story. Well done.