Reclaiming Quiet, by Sarah Clarkson 

Focuses on a deep inner quiet in which, if we cultivate it carefully, we might be more likely to catch the whisper of God - well written and challenging

 

Reclaiming Quiet - Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention
By Sarah Clarkson
Baker 
ISBN: 978-1-5409-0052-4
Reviewed by: Jeannie Kendall 

This book is simultaneously the book I have most enjoyed, and the one by which I have been most challenged in a long time.

Part of the enjoyment is that it is exquisitely written: Sarah knows how to put words together in the most beautiful and evocative of ways and so it pays to read it slowly.

The challenge? Her premise is that we find quiet difficult: not just the absence of noise, though that is demanding enough for some of us who even work with music playing. She is instead talking about a deep inner quiet in which, if we cultivate it carefully, we might be more likely to catch the whisper of God.

She combines personal stories and biblical reflection and includes both a prayer and some questions to ponder. It could be used as part of a daily plan or taken just a few pages at a time to appreciate its honesty and depth.

If like me, your inner and outer life are equally busy and noisy, or if you simply appreciate a well written book which makes you think, this is a book for you. Very highly recommended.


Reclaiming Quiet was named 'Christian Life Book of the Year' in the annual Christian Resources Together (CRT) Awards 2025.

 

Jeannie Kendall is a ‘retired’ Baptist minister, speaker, and trainer. She is the author of four books: the fourth of which, on Psalm 23, is due out next year, and is currently working on a fifth