This Here Flesh

Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us

By: Cole Arthur Riley

Narrated by: Cole Arthur Riley

Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In her stunning debut, the creator of Black Liturgies weaves stories from three generations of her family alongside contemplative reflections to discover the “necessary rituals” that connect us with our belonging, dignity, and liberation.

“This is the kind of book that makes you different when you’re done.”—Ashley C. Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Somebody’s Daughter

“Reaches deep beneath the surface of words unspoken, wounds unhealed, and secrets untempered to break them open in order for fresh light to break through.”—Morgan Jerkins, New York Times bestselling author of This Will Be My Undoing and Caul Baby

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Root, Library Journal

“From the womb, we must repeat with regularity that to love ourselves is to survive. I believe that is what my father wanted for me and knew I would so desperately need: a tool for survival, the truth of my dignity named like a mercy new each morning.”

So writes Cole Arthur Riley in her unforgettable book of stories and reflections on discovering the sacred in her skin. In these deeply transporting pages, Arthur Riley reflects on the stories of her grandmother and father, and how they revealed to her an embodied, dignity-affirming spirituality, not only in what they believed but in the act of living itself. Writing memorably of her own childhood and coming to self, Arthur Riley boldly explores some of the most urgent questions of life and faith: How can spirituality not silence the body, but instead allow it to come alive? How do we honor, lament, and heal from the stories we inherit? How can we find peace in a world overtaken with dislocation, noise, and unrest? In this indelible work of contemplative storytelling, Arthur Riley invites us to descend into our own stories, examine our capacity to rest, wonder, joy, rage, and repair, and find that our humanity is not an enemy to faith but evidence of it.

At once a compelling spiritual meditation, a powerful intergenerational account, and a tender coming-of-age narrative, This Here Flesh speaks potently to anyone who suspects that our stories might have something to say to us.

©2022 Cole Arthur Riley (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Arthur Riley’s quest to discover the ‘necessary rituals’ connecting us to a sense of belonging, dignity, liberation, and faith prompts her to plumb the stories of her grandmother and father to reveal an affirming spirituality rooted in kindness, love, and deep holiness.”—Oprah Daily

“This book is an invitation into the delicate weavings of family, inheritance, and pain, how they mark a bloodline and connect a people. Cole Arthur Riley writes with grace and gravity. And somehow she teaches us to think of ourselves as deserving of such grace along the way. This is the kind of book that makes you different when you’re done.”—Ashley C. Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Somebody’s Daughter

“Welcome the rising of Arthur Riley’s astonishing voice. This is a gorgeous and muscular work.”—Krista Tippett, host of On Being and New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Wise

Life giving, moving, and heart soothing

Never have I listened to a more beautiful book, story. Started it over immediately after writing this review.

Liberation found in another

Thank you so much Cole for helping me take a peek and lean into my own personal liberation. You are a priceless gift and your work is a gift to readers that will give eternally. I am beyond grateful, Only LOVE to you and your family.

Exceptional

This may be one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever written. It reminds me a lot of Toni Morrison’s writing: poetry in prose form. I will be recommending this book to all my friends. So grateful for your work and wisdom, Mrs Riley.

Beautiful Allegory

Riley weaves a rich tapestry of scripture and her lived experience. I found the narration slow and heavy but the allegory shines through.

A Must Read

This is a beautiful exploration of the author's traumas and encounters with faith. Deeply incarnational, she recognizes the Gospel without the kind of certainty that makes faith transactional. Her faith is filled with the skepticism that makes it real and healing. She writes of the comfort of God in the midst of nightmares and pain. This is a voice we must listen to, not because it is perfect theology but because it is faithful beyond theology. If nothing else, read the chapter on lament. I want to transcribe or copy it and send it to every church because this is too often lost in the modern church.

Such great wisdom.

So thoughtful and raw. Prophetic wisdom can often come from the most humble. Cole is transparent in her grasping and I believe her estimation that we all are just grasping is true.

Healing

I found this book to be healing to my spirit, especially after the pain of the pandemic. It has been years since a Christian book spoke to me like this. Cole Arthur Riley puts words to truths and pain that I couldn’t identify. Listening to the author read her book in her calm, determined voice allowed me to hear it the way it was meant.

A Sacred Reading

Your soul will find liberation and a language communicated by love and fullness of truth!

A must read.

One of the books I wept in the car too. I’ll be getting the paperback version too.

A new contemplative classic

This will be my contemplative meditation for years to come. Thank you for sharing your heart and soul, CAR!