I lost a bit of momentum with the Reading Challenge in August. I think some of it was recovery from the visa application. At the time I’m writing this, it’s not fully resolved, but we’re on track. So fingers crossed!

But at least I got to read a good book.

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I wanted to take a moment to mention that this is the type of reading that I struggle with. I’m losing some interest, but it helps that the authors are all from marginalized communities.

I read 1.5 books in the month of August.

Loud by Drew Afualo and half of Rich Relationships by Selena Soo.

Here are my thoughts:

Loud by Drew Afualo

This book is a memoir from a Samoan woman who was raised in the States. It’s about her journey from working a corporate job to building a flourishing brand as an influencer. It’s also about her journey to find her confidence and her place in her career. It describes her personal journey to learn how to de-center men.

Friends, I loved this book!

Afualo’s writing style is conversational and irreverent. She doesn’t pull any punches or spare the feelings for men that behave badly. But the thing I loved the most about this book was the fact that she’s Polynesian. Having lived in Hawai’i, in a community that was predominantly Native Hawaiian but also included Samoan neighbors, this felt so familiar. It was like stepping into a portal to have a chat with a neighbor that I left behind.

She discussed how growing up in her Samoan family was her first experience with de-centering men. Her parents didn’t conform to patriarchal gender norms and served as her role models. My relationship with my husband resembles this. I identified with her parents, especially her mom.

One point that stuck with me was that community rooted in relationships that center women has made her more supported and stronger. The book initially came across as feeding into the gender binary, not including a lot of language that included gender diverse folks. But this evolved throughout the course of the book. She also made it clear that she ascribes to the version of feminism that includes Trans folks. I don’t remember specific references, but the general theme expanded from this to include intersectionality.

This dovetailed with the themes I’ve been exploring regarding building power through building community.

One quote that I particularly enjoyed was:

“Support from women is a gift. It’s a resource in which you can find not only community, but empowerment.”

Afualo addressed lessons she learned from failure, and I loved her perspective on this. She had gotten her dream job, only to be slapped in the face with reality. It was soul sucking. She was let go, but was able to strip away external factors and found success by leaning into what she was good at, all while honoring her authenticity.

I was struck with how quickly and how well she learned these lessons. I feel like these lessons were ones that I didn’t fully cement until I was in my mid to late thirties. We had very different upbringings. She was supported at home, and was raised to be confident in her ability to be successful. I wasn’t. I had a lot to unlearn first.

There were aspects of this book that caused me to confront my religious trauma again. But unlike the Miracle Hour, which triggered it, this book soothed it. I felt supported in my work through the religious trauma, especially that which was connected to the patriarchy.

Rich Relationships by Selena Soo

Selena Soo is a bestselling author and a marketing strategist. She moved around a lot as a kid, and it shaped her to be shy and reserved. I’m going to hold off on further reviewing this book until I’ve finished. But a quick peek into the future: Unsurprisingly, it fits well with the theme of utilizing our networks to build economically powerful communities.

Want to join me for September reading?

I’m finishing Rich Relationships by Selena Soo, and then moving into Life in Three Dimensions by Shigehiro Oishi PhD

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