Awake

In a shuttered bedroom in ancient Italy, the sleepless Pliny the Elder lies in bed obsessively dictating new chapters of his Natural History to his slave Diocles. Fat, wheezing, imperious, and prone to nosebleeds, Pliny does not believe in spending his evenings in repose: No-to be awake is to be alive. There's no time to waste if he is to classify every element of the natural world in a single work. By day Pliny the Elder carries out his many civic duties and gives the occasional disastrous public reading. But despite his astonishing ambition to catalog everything from precious metals to the moon, as well as a collection of exotic plants sourced from the farthest reaches of the world, Pliny the Elder still takes immense pleasure in the common rose. After he rushes to an erupting Mount Vesuvius and perishes in the ash, his nephew, Pliny the Younger, becomes custodian of his life's work. But where Pliny the Elder saw starlight, Pliny the Younger only sees fireflies. In masterfully honed prose, Voetmann brings the formidable Pliny the Elder (and his pompous nephew) to life. Awake is a comic delight about one of history's great minds and the not-so-great human body it was housed in.

In a shuttered bedroom in ancient Italy, the sleepless Pliny the Elder lies in bed obsessively dictating new chapters of his Natural History to his slave Diocles. Fat, wheezing, imperious, and prone to nosebleeds, Pliny does not believe in spending his evenings in repose: No-to be awake is to be alive. There's no time to waste if he is to classify every element of the natural world in a single work. By day Pliny the Elder carries out his many civic duties and gives the occasional disastrous public reading. But despite his astonishing ambition to catalog everything from precious metals to the moon, as well as a collection of exotic plants sourced from the farthest reaches of the world, Pliny the Elder still takes immense pleasure in the common rose. After he rushes to an erupting Mount Vesuvius and perishes in the ash, his nephew, Pliny the Younger, becomes custodian of his life's work. But where Pliny the Elder saw starlight, Pliny the Younger only sees fireflies. In masterfully honed prose, Voetmann brings the formidable Pliny the Elder (and his pompous nephew) to life. Awake is a comic delight about one of history's great minds and the not-so-great human body it was housed in.

‘I cannot think of a single person who wouldn’t find hope and inspiration in these pages’ – Mel Robbins, author of The Let Them Theory ‘This book doesn’t just speak to your heart, it revives it’ – Jenna Kutcher, author of How Are You, Really? Perfect for fans of Untamed , Awake is a powerful memoir of self-discovery, authenticity and finding the courage to rethink and rebuild your life after heartbreak. A truly brilliant read, it’s also a fascinating account of a woman learning to question the rules of the oppressively patriarchal US church in which she grew up. At 2.30 a.m. on July 11, 2020, author and mother-of-five Jen Hatmaker woke up to her husband of twenty-six years voice texting his girlfriend in bed next to her. Life as she knew it was over. In Awake , she scrutinises the toxic systems that led to the end of her marriage, sharing intimate, sometimes hilariously hard moments along the way. Beautifully written and shot through with deep emotion, this is a story of hope and resilience, of unpicking the past and challenging limitations around the kind of person you can be. It’s a love letter to friendship, family and the power of community, and a roadmap showing how to cope, survive and even thrive when all seems lost. 'A powerful howl of honesty that will open the eyes and hearts of every single woman who sees herself in its pages, which is to say, all of us. This book is the best kind of medicine' – Dani Shapiro, author of Inheritance and Signal Fires

‘I cannot think of a single person who wouldn’t find hope and inspiration in these pages’ – Mel Robbins, author of The Let Them Theory ‘This book doesn’t just speak to your heart, it revives it’ – Jenna Kutcher, author of How Are You, Really? Perfect for fans of Untamed , Awake is a powerful memoir of self-discovery, authenticity and finding the courage to rethink and rebuild your life after heartbreak. A truly brilliant read, it’s also a fascinating account of a woman learning to question the rules of the oppressively patriarchal US church in which she grew up. At 2.30 a.m. on July 11, 2020, author and mother-of-five Jen Hatmaker woke up to her husband of twenty-six years voice texting his girlfriend in bed next to her. Life as she knew it was over. In Awake , she scrutinises the toxic systems that led to the end of her marriage, sharing intimate, sometimes hilariously hard moments along the way. Beautifully written and shot through with deep emotion, this is a story of hope and resilience, of unpicking the past and challenging limitations around the kind of person you can be. It’s a love letter to friendship, family and the power of community, and a roadmap showing how to cope, survive and even thrive when all seems lost. 'A powerful howl of honesty that will open the eyes and hearts of every single woman who sees herself in its pages, which is to say, all of us. This book is the best kind of medicine' – Dani Shapiro, author of Inheritance and Signal Fires

"I can't imagine any woman reading this without feeling seen, inspired, and totally empowered." --Mel Robbins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Let Them Theory From Jen Hatmaker--beloved New York Times bestselling author and host of the For the Love podcast--a brutally honest, funny, and revealing memoir about the traumatic end of her twenty-six-year-long marriage, and the beginning of a different kind of love story. At 2:30 a.m. on July 11th, 2020, Jen Hatmaker woke up to her husband of twenty-six years whispering in his phone to another woman from their bed. It was the end of life as she knew it. In the months that followed, she went from being a shiny, funny, popular leader, to a divorced wreck on antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds parenting five kids alone with no clue about her own bank accounts. Having led millions of women for over a decade--urging them to embrace authenticity, find radical agency, and create healthy relationships--this seemed nothing less than total failure. In Awake , Jen shares for the first time what happened when she found herself completely lost at sea--and how she made it to shore. In candid, surprisingly funny vignettes spanning forty years of girlhood, marriage, and parenting, Jen lays bare the disorienting upheaval of midlife--the implosion of a marriage, the unraveling of religious and cultural systems, and the grief that accompanies change you didn't ask for. And, drawing on all her resources--from without and from within--Jen dares to question the systems beneath the whole house of cards, and to reckon with the myths, half-truths, and lies that brought her to this point. More than one woman's story, Awake is a critical analysis of the story given to all of us: the story of gender limitations, religious subservience, body shame, self-erasure. With refreshing candor, Jen explores a Midlife Renaissance--grieving what's lost, cherishing possibility, and entering the second half of life wide awake.

"I can't imagine any woman reading this without feeling seen, inspired, and totally empowered." --Mel Robbins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Let Them Theory From Jen Hatmaker--beloved New York Times bestselling author and host of the For the Love podcast--a brutally honest, funny, and revealing memoir about the traumatic end of her twenty-six-year-long marriage, and the beginning of a different kind of love story. At 2:30 a.m. on July 11th, 2020, Jen Hatmaker woke up to her husband of twenty-six years whispering in his phone to another woman from their bed. It was the end of life as she knew it. In the months that followed, she went from being a shiny, funny, popular leader, to a divorced wreck on antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds parenting five kids alone with no clue about her own bank accounts. Having led millions of women for over a decade--urging them to embrace authenticity, find radical agency, and create healthy relationships--this seemed nothing less than total failure. In Awake , Jen shares for the first time what happened when she found herself completely lost at sea--and how she made it to shore. In candid, surprisingly funny vignettes spanning forty years of girlhood, marriage, and parenting, Jen lays bare the disorienting upheaval of midlife--the implosion of a marriage, the unraveling of religious and cultural systems, and the grief that accompanies change you didn't ask for. And, drawing on all her resources--from without and from within--Jen dares to question the systems beneath the whole house of cards, and to reckon with the myths, half-truths, and lies that brought her to this point. More than one woman's story, Awake is a critical analysis of the story given to all of us: the story of gender limitations, religious subservience, body shame, self-erasure. With refreshing candor, Jen explores a Midlife Renaissance--grieving what's lost, cherishing possibility, and entering the second half of life wide awake.

A new look at the life, works and enduring relevance of William Blake, a deeply spiritual and politically radical figure. In the 200 years since Blake's death, the visionary artist, poet and writer has become a household name, often beloved. Yet many struggle to comprehend his kaleidoscopic ideas; how they speak to human longings and the challenges of living in anxious times. Philosopher and psychotherapist Mark Vernon provides a fresh route into Blake, taking him at his word. Exploring this brilliant thinker's passionate writings, arresting artworks and fascinating life, Vernon illuminates Blake's vivid worldview. Like us, he lived in a tumultuous era of war, discontent, rapid technological change, and human estrangement from nature. He exposed the dark sides of political fervour and social moralising, while unashamedly celebrating love and liberty. But he also conversed with prophets and angels, and was powerfully, if unconventionally, religious. If we take this seriously--not easy, in secular times--then Blake can help us to unlock the transformative power of imagination. Written for both longstanding fans and unfamiliar readers, Awake! reveals Blake as an invigorating and hopeful guide for our modern age.

A new look at the life, works and enduring relevance of William Blake, a deeply spiritual and politically radical figure. In the 200 years since Blake's death, the visionary artist, poet and writer has become a household name, often beloved. Yet many struggle to comprehend his kaleidoscopic ideas; how they speak to human longings and the challenges of living in anxious times. Philosopher and psychotherapist Mark Vernon provides a fresh route into Blake, taking him at his word. Exploring this brilliant thinker's passionate writings, arresting artworks and fascinating life, Vernon illuminates Blake's vivid worldview. Like us, he lived in a tumultuous era of war, discontent, rapid technological change, and human estrangement from nature. He exposed the dark sides of political fervour and social moralising, while unashamedly celebrating love and liberty. But he also conversed with prophets and angels, and was powerfully, if unconventionally, religious. If we take this seriously--not easy, in secular times--then Blake can help us to unlock the transformative power of imagination. Written for both longstanding fans and unfamiliar readers, Awake! reveals Blake as an invigorating and hopeful guide for our modern age.