I am a huge admirer of Ledisi and her music. So I was far beyond excited when I learned she was writing her first book! And after reading it, I can proudly tell you that the anticipation I had for its release was not in vain.

 

 

In collaboration with Essence magazine, Better Than Alright: Finding Peace, Love, and Power (Essence, 2012) is a massive dose of inspiration and empowerment in a small package of 175 pages. Don’t mistake this for your typical autobiography, because it is far from that! Instead, Ledisi uses a intricate blend of beautiful poetry, breath-taking imagery and quotes to illustrate her life’s reflections. In addition, she shares pearls of wisdom learned through experience as well as those taught by friends and loved ones.

 

Each of the 11 chapters highlights a different subject. No “fancy, long-winded” chapter titles here: keeping it simple with one-word titles such as ‘Faith’, ‘Beauty’, “Authentic’ and ‘Home’ make the subject matters easy to remember in case the reader wishes to go back to them later.

 

Don’t be misled by the chapter titles either! Ledisi does not approach each subject from just one angle, but from various angles—in other words, no matter who or where you are in life, there is something included that everyone can relate to.

 

The thing that I love most about this book is although Ledisi discusses her life, the words are not focused on her, but rather they place the attention on the reader, being as personable and comfortable as chatting with a longtime best friend. There are even journaling pages throughout with questions that are in-depth but not too overwhelming for the reader. The journal questions perfectly balance the book so that it feels more conversational than preachy.

 

 

 

“Find a place of peace.

Stay there and reflect on your life.

It could have been better or worse.

But guess what? You made it!

You are living and breathing

And you get another chance to add

More good to your life.” {Ledisi, pg. 148}

 

‘Better Than Alright’ is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I not only gained a much clearer insight on Ledisi and the experiences that have shaped her into the phenomenal artist that she is today, but I learned a lot too. I must also add the journaling pages were very beneficial in my latest chapter of self-discovery. If I ever get the opportunity to meet Ledisi, I would certainly give her a big hug and an ever bigger “Thank You.”

 

 

If you are looking for a summer read that is both mentally and visually stimulating in a way that is outside the norm, then Better Than Alright by Ledisi is a must-own for you. Measuring at 6 inches wide and only 7 inches tall, it can easily travel with you everywhere you go. I highly recommend this outstanding book!

 

 To find out more about this book or to purchase, click here. 

photo credit: ledisi.com

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