Growing Brave by Donna Ashworth

Just under year ago it was my pleasure to review Wild Hope by Donna Ashworth in a post you’ll find here. Imagine my delight, then, when a surprise copy of Donna’s latest book, Growing Brave appeared in my post box. It was so timely as I have found the last 12 months incredibly challenging and my heartfelt thanks go to Flora Willis (I think it was Flora!) at Bonnier Books for sending me a copy. I’m delighted to share my review of Growing Brave today.

Growing Brave was published by Bonnier imprint Black & White on 3rd September 2024 and is available for purchase here.

Growing Brave

In this powerful new collection of wisdom and poetry, Donna Ashworth helps us to find strength and courage on the days we feel lost, to pick ourselves up when times are hard, to soothe fear and self-doubt when we are in their grip, and to let in more life and love as we brave our challenges.

Every day we are bombarded by thoughts, feelings and information that make us feel anxious and afraid. We worry we don’t measure up, we are scared of failure and we find it hard to be ourselves. We also feel powerless watching the world getting messier. Fear is a limiting factor for many of us and if we don’t challenge it we can find ourselves keeping out more of the good stuff in life than the bad.

With poems such as ‘One Day You’ll See’, ‘Growing in Moonlight’, ‘The Comparing’ and ‘Always There’, bestselling author Donna Ashworth helps us to see that whatever we are facing, no matter how small or afraid we feel, we make the biggest difference in this world and to our own happiness when we are brave enough to show up as ourselves.

My Review of Growing Brave

If I’m honest, I had no intention of reading Growing Brave at the moment, but I couldn’t settle to a book. I’d begun and discarded several that normally I’d have immediately loved, but I couldn’t get into them. So I picked up Donna Ashworth’s Growing Brave and there, immediately, was just what I needed. 

I thought I’d read Growing Brave from page one in order, but as soon as I read Donna Ashworth’s recommendation to open a page at random I did just that and she was right. It took me straight to Warm Breeze which articulated how to accept the vagaries of life with equanimity, and immediately I found myself relaxing. Indeed, Growing Brave is a powerful book that truly does seem to have an innate power to guide and support the reader.

Part of the strength of Growing Brave comes from the author’s introductory note and her Afterword. Bookending the content as they do, these two aspects feel akin to a physical hug from Donna Ashworth. It is as if a friend is supporting the reader and giving them strength through a virtual hug. Add in the simple, organic line drawing accompanying the poetry and short prose pieces and there’s a calming effect that is surprisingly profound. 

That said, the true power in Growing Brave comes through the simple honesty underpinning the entries. Seeing life’s difficulties like the mud that helps us grow like a plant for example, is relatable and easy to grasp but is nonetheless encouraging and inspiring. I think what works so well is the balance between acknowledging our innermost frailties and providing solutions or advice without patronising the reader. Much of the poetry is written in the first person so that Donna Ashworth is prepared to lay herself bare and render herself vulnerable which has the effect of giving readers permission to be honest with themselves too. 

I think Growing Brave is one of those books where the author would be happy for us to forget about it. Donna Ashworth wants us to be emotionally independent and strong, but for those times when we need a little extra help, Growing Brave is supportive, inspirational and emotionally uplifting. It’s heartfelt, accessible and a friend waiting on your bookshelf. I absolutely loved it. It would make a wonderful gift for any reader. 

About Donna Ashworth

Donna Ashworth is a number one Sunday Times Bestselling Poet, whose words you will often find flying around the internet, widely shared daily, by her 1.7 million followers.

Donna’s writing came to spotlight during the lockdown period where she saw her purpose as building a place to find hope, calm and comfort, amidst the collective chaos. She quickly became an internet favourite with one viral post after another and a list of celebrity endorsements.

Having published eight books since; three successful self-published titles and five with Bonnier Books/Black & White publishing, her newest collection of words, Growing Brave is now available and set to be received just as warmly as the much-loved Wild Hope.

Priding herself on being ‘imperfectly human’ and ‘sharing the dark with the light to harness hope’, Donna engages constantly with her followers in a bid to find comfort in numbers as we ‘walk each other home’ on this journey of life.

For further information, find Donna on Instagram or Facebook and follow her on X/Twitter @Donna_ashworth.