Belonging - by Toko-Pa Turner (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

2017 Nautilus Award Gold Winner

Feel like you don't belong? You're not alone.

The world has never been more connected, yet people are lonelier than ever. Whether we feel unworthy, alienated, or anxious about our place in the world -- the absence of belonging is the great silent wound of our times.

Most people think of belonging as a mythical place, and they spend a lifetime searching for it in vain. But what if belonging isn't a place at all? What if it's a skill that has been lost or forgotten?

With her signature depth and eloquence, Toko-pa maps a path to Belonging from the inside out. Drawing on myth, stories and dreams, she takes us into the origins of our estrangement, reframing exile as a necessary initiation into authenticity. Then she shares the competencies of belonging: a set of ancestral practices to heal our wounds and restore true belonging to our lives and to the world.

Review Quotes

"Certain people invite you into an experience that will alter your world view forever. They have gone so deep, searched so thoroughly, traversed territories that most would shun, and then they return and lay their soul at your feet. Toko-pa is one such individual and this book is her soul made visible. She reaches her hand out to you and asks you to take a journey with her. If you are ready, take her hand and prepare to grow." -- Clare Dubois, Founder of TreeSisters

"An exquisitely crafted journey that explores the deep longings of the soul, the mysterious workings of our dreams, the bittersweet wisdom of the orphaned self and the losses of our lineage that we would rather ignore. Toko-pa Turner speaks with poetry and practicality, pure compassion and profound integrity to the heart of what it means to belong to ourselves, to our people, to our communities and to the earth. Belonging is the book I have been longing to read all my life." -- Lucy H. Pearce, Amazon bestselling author, Burning Woman

"Belonging is full of profound insights that flower from Toko-pa's powerful life experiences and her resilient, compassionate spirit. To me the central message of the book is that, to be truly original, you have to experience some sort difference or exile from the "club," and take that initiatory journey. It's a message I believe we urgently need to hear today, as there is such a strong cultural emphasis on fighting our differences rather than allowing them to bring us to a full reclamation of our own unique selves. It was breathtakingly compassionate and surefooted!" -- Michelle Tocher, Mythologist and Author of How to Ride a Dragon

"Belonging is something quite extraordinary. It's more than just a book; it's an experience. As I read Toko-pa's writing, I found myself being transported, not to some distant place, but to my deepest core. Belonging is a mirror to our true face, revealing the exiled threads of our being so that we may gently re-weave them back into the greater fabric of which we are all a part. This is a book that provides living nourishment for these times and will be a classic for decades to come." -- Bethany Webster, The Mother Wound

"With astounding clarity and compassion Toko-pa guides us to embody a humanity deeply rooted in our belonging and reverence for the grand dance of life we are part of. Through her exquisite word-magic, she midwifes the deep wisdom of our souls into incarnation." -- Chameli Ardagh, Founder of Awakening Women Institute

"Not only is Belonging full of timeless wisdom and glorious insights, it's quite possibly the most beautiful book I've ever read. Toko-pa's voice is one of beauty and one of necessity in a troubled world. I consider her a vessel for genius, someone who has a direct line to the soul of the world and knows how to translate soul-wisdom into words that feel like home." -- Seraphina Capranos, Herbalist & Homeopath

"Belonging is truly a masterwork that will touch your heart deeply and speak to those neglected heartspaces that have been so carefully protected and hidden away. It will make you weep and rejoice in remembrance." -- Craig Paterson, Recording Artist, Path of the Light Warrior