Review
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Title: A Woman’s Power: Threads that Bind Us to God
Author: Fay A. Klingler
Publisher: CFI, a division of Cedar Fort, Inc.
Genre: Self-help
Year Published: 2012
Number of Pages: 126
Binding: cloth
ISBN:978-1-4621-1029-2
Price: $15.99

Reviewed by Laura Compton for the Association for Mormon Letters

In a sea of books aspiring to teaching women how to improve themselves and change their lives, Fay A. Klingler’s “A Woman’s Power” stands out for providing a number of practical and inspiring ways to develop spiritual, physical and emotional strength. Using the image of a rope created and strengthened by several smaller ropes – or threads – Klingler reminds us that life is complex and we cannot separate ourselves or parts of ourselves without losing some strength, some power.

Klingler is an experienced author and has tackled topics she’s experienced in her own life, including betrayal recovery, blending families and grandparenting. In this latest book, she draws from both her own and others’ experiences with parenting, illness, divorce, finances, health and many other topics, showing readers how she learned some very important lessons.

Each chapter represents one of eight threads that bind us to God. While the book is addressed mainly to women, and to LDS women in particular, these threads could work for anyone. They are: Identity; Prayer; The Word of God; Awareness; Obedience; Goal Setting; Supporting Each Other; and Patience.

She writes, “We are daughters of God. Our ultimate safety rests with the choices we make – the pattern we chose to follow in responding to the events in our lives. Anyone can smile and trust when life is easy. But our faith and character are tested when we face times of trial that require us to stretch and grow….We are fully competent. We have reserves we cannot imagine and we must never underestimate our worth and our potential. Heavenly Father created us with all the skills and talents we need. We voted for agency. Now we just need to take the risk to make the choices that count.” (124-125)

Many LDS books include lots of quotes and stories by and about famous and important LDS men. Klingler has taken care to include some stories by prophets and apostles as well, but she also includes stories from women as well. A book about tapping into a woman’s innate power would be of little value if it only provided men’s opinions. The women quoted in the pages of this book are women who’ve worked hard, sometimes in everyday challenges and sometimes in life-altering crises, to develop their own power, and Klingler introduces each woman discreetly and confidently, providing enough details to teach readers, but protecting confidentiality when appropriate.

The chapters on awareness and goal setting are particularly refreshing and effective. It is very easy for women to allow life to happen to them, allowing others to dictate focus and direction, and Klingler reminds women that they are agents unto themselves. They have a responsibility to pay attention and set goals and in so doing, women will find ways to keep themselves safe and to keep their lives going in the right direction.

She urges women to “concentrate our energies with all the passion of our hearts to fulfill our righteous goals and desires” to “resolve to achieve our divine mission even when the hard times come” to “strive to be all that our experience prepares us to be, and not give up as we tire” and to “be calm and trust ourselves, even when others doubt us.” (125) This is how women will be able to “report confidently to God” about their own lives and stewardships.

Those looking for a new approach to womanhood and self-improvement would appreciate “A Woman’s Power,” especially if they don’t mind a handful of references to the desperation of living in the last days when the world can be a scary place and where women find strength in LDS ideas of gender identity and divine roles. The book can be read in one sitting, or each chapter could be savored for a longer period of time – a plus for busy people with just short snippets to devote to reading.