Brave Soul

A Spiritual Memoir

Cherie Bell writes with humor and grace about her teenage years as a Pentecostal Christian in the late 1970s. At first happy her chaotic family life would be tamed by church membership, the spunky adolescent with a mind of her own finds her parents' choice too strict. In time she befriends the new church family and joins the faith at age 15 after profound experiences in water baptism and the Holy Ghost. As she grows into an independent young woman in the 1980s, always curious about world religious philosophies, she begins a personal exploration of the soul and finds spirituality outside of religion. Each segment of her memoir is set off by old-time gospel hymns and contemporary Christian song titles as Ms. Bell writes as one who knows the Pentecostal experience firsthand yet does not argue her views today. Indeed she concludes everyone's relationship with God is a personal endeavor. Her engaging story leaves readers thinking about religious fundamentalism and its impact on the world today. A former award-winning journalist and columnist, Ms. Bell is a singer, songwriter, and music teacher in Dallas, where she lives with her husband.