Francis Weller has an ability to weave together grief, soul, and community in a way that feels refreshing and profoundly needed for these times. This collection of essays is like a compass for moving through the uncertainty, fractures, and anxieties of modern life while reminding us of our enduring connection to the sacred. I especially appreciated his reflections on descent, self-compassion and gratitude, timeless reminders that healing often begins in the depths. A contemplative, nourishing read for anyone seeking meaning and resilience in an era of upheaval.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Francis Weller’s new book, “In the Absence of the Ordinary: Soul Work for Times of Uncertainty” (North Atlantic Books, 2025), braids seventeen essays on the tumultuousness of our contemporary times with his sacred soul work and grief practices.

Weller divides the book into four sections, including When the Bough Breaks, Care of the Soul, Meanwhile, the World Goes On, and Closing Thoughts, while approaching the extraordinariness of the past several years from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forward. By addressing the multiplicity of the world’s tragedies (growing climate unrest, economic unpredictability, and regional unrest, among others), he lays the groundwork for “a prolonged season of descent.”

A retired psychotherapist and the bestselling author of “The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief” (North Atlantic Books, 2015), Weller blooms brightest discussing the sacredness of the soul. In his essay “The Reverence of Approach,” he discusses the Irish poet John O’Donohue’s thoughts on what we each encounter in life and how a reverential approach impacts it.

The recommended Inner Work at the end of the reverence essay is for each reader to pay attention to their inner world for the next several days. Are we critical and judgmental? How do we tend to ourselves in our most vulnerable states? For the Outer Work suggested, Weller recommends taking a walk and noting what attracts our attention. A bird? A tree? An old building? What connection develops? Offer gratitude.

Readers of Thich Nhat Hanh, Tara Brach, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Mary Oliver, and David Whyte might enjoy Francis Weller’s “In the Absence of the Ordinary: Soul Work for Times of Uncertainty.”

Thank you to Francis Weller, North Atlantic Books, and NetGalley for the eARC.

Francis Weller is a voice for our time and one we cannot afford collectively to ignore. Yet again, his work invites introspection and expansion from our own inner world into the collective for healing, care, and growth.

This work is one I'll return to year over year. Thank you for the ARC to review!