Sensible Shoes: A Story about the Spiritual Journey (Sensible Shoes Series)
Condition: New
Buy Now, Pay Later
As low as
$2
/ mo
Learn more
- – 4-month term
- – No impact on credit to apply
- – Instant approval decision
- – Secure and straightforward checkout
Ready to go? Add this product to your cart and select a plan during checkout.
Payment plans are offered through our trusted finance partners Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay, Zip, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. No-credit-needed leasing options through Acima may also be available at checkout.
Learn more about financing & leasing here.
Free shipping on this product
30-day returns
Learn more
FREE 30-day refund/replacement
To qualify for a full refund, items must be returned in their original, unused condition. If an item is returned in a used, damaged, or materially different state, you may be granted a partial refund.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
Availability:
In Stock.
Arrives
Wednesday, Oct 21
Recently Viewed
Description
Over 200,000 Copies Sold Worldwide!Four Strangers, One Retreat Center, A Story of TransformationSharon Garlough Brown tells the moving story of four strangers as they embark together on a journey of spiritual formation:Hannah, a pastor who doesn't realize how exhausted she is.Meg, a widow and recent empty-nester who is haunted by her past.Mara, a woman who has experienced a lifetime of rejection and is now trying to navigate a difficult marriage.Charissa, a hard-working graduate student who wants to get things right.You're invited to join these four women as they reluctantly arrive at a retreat center and find themselves drawn out of their separate stories of isolation and struggle and into a collective journey of spiritual practice, mutual support and personal revelation.Along the way, readers will find:Key spiritual practices that they can take into their own lives,A cast of characters that any reader can find themselves in, andTangible support for the deeper life with God. If you want to travel this journey with others, you will find a group study guide and book club resources at Read more
Publisher : IVP
Publication date : February 27, 2013
Language : English
Print length : 349 pages
ISBN-10 : 0830843051
ISBN-13 : 53
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
Book 1 of 4 : Sensible Shoes
Best Sellers Rank: #15,734 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #58 in Contemporary Christian Fiction (Books) #219 in Inspirational Spirituality (Books) #225 in Christian Women's Issues
Frequently asked questions
If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is:
Wednesday, Oct 21
Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
- Klarna Financing
- Affirm Pay in 4
- Affirm Financing
- Afterpay Financing
- Zip Pay in 4
- Financing through Apple Pay
- Financing through Google Pay
Learn more about financing & leasing here.
Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Paperback
Almost two years ago, my friend Lorna told me that I just had to read this book called Sensible Shoes. I added it to my list of books to read, but I never got around to it. So, I was pleasantly surprised when, as a part of a wonderful “PhD Survival Kit,” she gave me a copy. When I was packing to go on my retreat, I slipped the book into my bag without really thinking about it. I figured, why not? It might be a good read. It was so good that I couldn’t set it down. The thing about Sensible Shoes is that it’s about a group of four women who are doing a long retreat and Brown’s writing style enables the reader to go on the retreat alongside the characters. This book is more than just a good novel, it’s a spiritual renewal—and for that, I think I would give the book 5 stars. But as a novel, it is also touching and helps reveal something intimate about the reader as the characters’ souls are being laid bare. From a literature perspective, the story is well done. The writing is superb and the way in which the author switches between the character perspectives keeps you wanting to read more and find out what happens. I’ve already written on the blog about how I related to each character, so I won’t take up space writing about that now. I will say that each character is so real, so relatable that it makes it feel like a true story. I guarantee that you have met women just like Meg, Mara, Hannah, and Charissa. Reading this novel, you might well find yourself thinking of a friend who, like Meg, needs to learn her worth. Or, you might be reminded of a former classmate who, like Charissa, makes your blood boil when she is being superficial and judgmental. Each character has different struggles, different addictions that keep them from being in perfect communion with God. The story, then, is how each overcomes those obstacles and moves forward to be in better communion with God and with each other. Since that is the story of each of our own lives and spiritual journeys, I think that makes Sensible Shoes a hopeful read. When the story reaches the bi-monthly meetings of the retreat group that the women belong to, there is a discussion in the story of a certain type of prayer. To help the reader in their own prayer life, Brown even includes a copy of the handout that the women receive from their retreat director in the story. I even borrowed from Brown in articles for my magazine. That’s how good these handouts are. With an M.Div. from Princeton and a job as pastor at an Evangelical church in Michigan, Brown is obviously an experienced retreat director in addition to being a great author—making me even more inclined to support her book. We ministers have to support each other. I highly recommend this great work of fiction and hope that you will take the time to read it. I guarantee it will help you in your spiritual life.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2015 by K. Marie Frances
Format: Paperback
I bought this book for a book club. I couldn’t have known how much I would love it. Or how greatly it would impact me. I throughly enjoyed each of the characters and related to them each in a different way. The spiritual journey is beneficial without being cheesy. They do discuss childhood wounds and current life circumstances and there are some trigger warnings probably necessary for some, but they would spoilers, so I won’t list them here. With that said, they handle everything in this book with care and it isn’t graphic even with the topics that might be triggering. And I will say that I am not referring to sexual assault so in that regard this book is safe. Anyway, the social worker in me had to say that part (and that is a disclaimer for the whole series). This book will make you think and make you feel and gives you an opportunity to read for leisure or read and stop along the way to participate in the exercise it offers. This is the first book I have ever highlighted. Ever. I normally don’t like to highlight books (even text books all through college), but there were so many great bits of wisdom and quotable moments I wanted to remember that I would suggest you have your Bible highlighter (so they don’t bleed through) ready. I will return to the highlighted parts over and over and I will remember this series forever. You can read the first book alone, or any of them alone if you wanted to, but I suggest the whole series. I ready this entire series over the summer. Everyone I have recommended it to has loved it. And one of my coworkers read the whole thing in a week (on vacation so she didn’t do the journey part and plans to read again). The second book is background story without tasks throughout. The last two books have less exercise or reflection questions, but still offer a little bit for the people that missed that in the second book. I could write a novel about how much I loved this book and how the Holy Spirit used this book in ways I will never forget. I personally went through a lot while reading this series and this book was always right on time with the wisdom I needed. This book is amazing. And although I am a Christian, I normally don’t read Christian fiction. If you don’t want to learn more about faith and don’t want to hear about faith as a basis, then this book isn’t for you. I encourage anyone to read it regardless of your religion, but just know that this book isn’t preachy, but it is definitely faith based.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2021 by Kstar458
Format: Paperback
I really enjoyed this book and felt that I could personally identify with the spiritual struggles of several of the four women who meet and become friends as they learn how to support each other at the "New Hope Retreat Center" where each of them has come because they need spiritual direction and help to make changes in their lives. As the reader hears the stories of these women who during the course of their studies with the group at the retreat center, develop the inner strength to look into their own hearts and their own past and choose healing, we also learn about numerous spiritual tools and processes which their spiritual counselor Katherine, shares with them which the reader can also use personally to get closer to God. Some of my favorite tools or processes from the book are walking a labyrinth; how to use the imagination in prayer or to place yourself in a Bible story where you can personally encounter God; the palms up, palms down prayer and especially - "praying the Examen". Katherine, the spiritual counselor in the story, who runs the retreat center shares with the retreat group that, "the prayer of examen was developed by Ignatius of Loyola in the sixteenth century as a discipline for discerning God's will and becoming more attentive to God's presence". She tells the retreatants that this prayer is a way of sitting with Jesus and talking through the details of your day. The examen, Katherine tells us, "helps us to perceive the movement of the Spirit and to discover God's presence in all of life." I enjoy using this "prayer of examen", during which I use a series of questions to prayerfully review the events of my day, my thoughts, words and actions and to surrender to God those which have been unkind and hurtful to myself or others. Using this process I can accept God's forgiveness for all the negative stuff and give thanks for the events of my day and those of my responses which have helped to draw me closer to the heart of God. Some of the questions teh reader in this prayer are posed as suggestions by Katherine to her group such as "When were you aware of God's presence today? When did you sense God's absence?"; When did you respond to God with love, faith and obedience? When did you resist or avoid God?". And after responding to these kind of questions which we ask ourselves, Katherine instructs Hannah, Meg, Mara, Charissa, the rest of her retreat group and us, the reader, that we confess what needs to be confessed then allow God's Spirit of love to bring us wholeness, grace and forgiveness. "Sensible Shoes: A Story about the Spiritual Journey", is the kind of book which makes a fantastic spiritual study for an individual or for a group who may want to explore the ideas and tools presented with others in a group setting. I was introduced to this book by a friend whose church group used it for Lenten Study.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2014 by Placeholder
Format: Paperback
This was interesting. Will appeal mainly to devout Christians.
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2025 by dar
Format: Paperback
Within minutes of opening the pages of this book I was in the story with the characters. Sharon Garlough Brown captures the reader"s attention through the characters in a way that is hard to describe. The reader can identify with each of the characters. I was cheering, crying, and laughing with each one as I experienced their stories. Wow, on each page I wanted to stay in the fullness of the story. The book also drew me into a more intimate place with Jesus as I went along. You will not be sorry you picked up this book. I will be rereading soon.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2026 by CMKing14
Format: Kindle
This is quite a unique story, part instructional non-fiction, built around the fictional account of four women from different backgrounds who meet at a Scared Journey retreat. It's compelling reading as we get into the detail of each of these women's lives and their journey towards God's heart. Even though I'm a man I was able to relate to all four of them at various stages of their journeys. Whether it was Charissa's perfectionism, arrogance and thirst for information, to Hannah's being lost in her calling, to Mara's struggle with a non-believing spouse and Meg's struggle with the loss of her parents and fiancé, I found a bit of myself in all of them. I particularly enjoyed how Brown combines the heart journey and desire for intimacy with God with the telling of the ladies lives. It's a tremendous practical demonstration of how we can pursue the heart of God while going about our lives incorporating various spiritual disciplines plus the importance of community (ie, each other) and guidance from a mentor (in this story it was the leader of the retreat: Katherine). The novel is filled with spiritual insight plus instructional guidelines as to how to incorporate various spiritual disciplines and provides a wonderful insight into a scared journey with the Lord. I'm excited to read the next one in the series.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2017 by Ian Acheson
Format: Kindle
I had a hard time putting this book down . The way the lives of the women are presented reads almost like a good mystery. The presentation of the disciplines is an extremely good way to explain them to those who are unfamiliar with them as well as opening up new understandings for those who are. Now, onto the next three books.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2024 by Emma J. Gregory
Format: Paperback
Best book I've read in a long time. I checked it out from our church library and wanted my own so I could highlight so many things that I ordered it and the rest of the series. Wonderful!!
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2026 by Sue white