The Holy Wild: A Heathen Bible for the Untamed Woman

The Holy Wild: A Heathen Bible for the Untamed Woman outlines a sort of feminine rubric for living a spiritually conscious, naturally connected life. Divided into five sections for each of the basic elements (earth, water, fire, air, and ether), Danielle Dulsky blends spirituality with mythological commentary, feminine empowerment, and a bit of self-help. The author weaves her own personal beliefs with wise aphorisms in which readers of any spiritual orientation can find meaning.

This being said, however, Dulsky’s book simply wasn’t my cup of tea. Followers of Dulsky’s spiritual practice may find that her writing hits the mark, but I’m afraid it just didn’t do it for me. I take issue with this book largely from a literary perspective. Dulsky attempts to re-envision women of ancient myth, such as Lilith, Salome, and Mary Magdalene, with a twenty-first-century lens. I found this to be highly anachronistic in nature. Dulsky took the stories of these women and twisted them to fit her needs without regard to historical accuracy. While some readers may not be bothered by this tactic, it rendered the entire book completely unreliable for me. I’d give The Holy Wild one out of five stars, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking to learn anything worthwhile.