If you have been following my account for a while, you will know I absolutely adore Holly Ringland! Her 2 bestselling fiction books, The Lost Flowers Of Alice Hart & The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding, hold a special place in my heart and after meeting her in May, I was blown away by what a beautiful and generous person she is in real life. When I became aware she was releasing a nonfiction book about creativity, I couldn’t wait to get to my hands on to it even though I wasn’t fully sure how it was going to be structured.

The House That Joy Built has absolutely blown me away and has connected to me in such a deep way that I’m not sure any other book has. With the first few chapters, I felt seen and heard by Holly reaching through the pages. This is a book about giving ourselves permission to be creative, the balance of joy/fear inherent in the creative process and why this is so important. As Holly says “…this isn’t a how-to-book. Neither is it a workbook full of exercises. It’s not a step-by-step guide to creative writing...”

I inhaled this book in a day and even though I don’t think it’s going to be for everyone, I think if it is for you, you will identify with it immediately. Through Holly’s personal stories and antidote’s, she can powerfully inspire others to follow their creative paths including me. There are so many passages in this book I have highlighted and will revisit frequently.

To sum this book up in 3 words, I would say honest, inspiring, and uplifting. I want to offer a huge thank you to Holly for putting all your experiences, thoughts, and knowledge into this book – it has literally changed my life and I do not say that lightly. As a book lover, I’ve always known books have transformative powers, but this book showcased it to me in the most powerful and beautiful way.