The Widening of the Womb and Other Stories (Used)

The Widening of the Womb and Other Stories is a collection of short stories giving voice to Old Testament characters. It is written from a feminist perspective and brings a gendered dimension to our spirituality and the ancient stories we know.

The book contains 5 distinct parts, covering different periods and experiences of women (and some men) who lived through thousands of years of history and transition, as people of faith. Through delving into the past, the characters speak to us in our present, on many issues that have always mattered - the universal truths and needs: love and relationships, community-building, home and exile, healing, justice,...

South African Feminist Theologian, Rev Dr Jenny Sprong, wrote the preface of the book in 2015, during the 16 Days of Activism Campaign. She refers to the writing as a seminal book of stories and adds "what I can do - and must do - is affirm the author for her brave and bold attempts to tell these stories - of women in our Sacred Texts - in a way that gives them a new voice, filled with hope."

Philomène, the author is a Congolese woman, raised in DRC (then Zaïre, by her Belgian/French adoptive parents). She lives in Cape Town, South Africa. She has worked in the faith-based sector among children at risk and on HIV/AIDS. She is also a French Teacher, Translator and a mother. She tells tales that are deeply African, deeply spiritual and that can be experienced in various cultural contexts.

Recommended for adult readers and children aged 13+