Recipes For A Sacred Life - Rivvy Neshama - A Short Summary and Review

 Recipes For A Sacred Life - Rivvy Neshama - A Short Summary and Review

By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures

A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review

A memoir of living with grace and wisdom.

A short summary:

Recipes for a Sacred Life is a reflective memoir shaped by story, spirituality, and everyday practice. Rather than presenting a single doctrine or rigid philosophy, Rivvy Neshama offers a series of lived reflections, small “recipes” for cultivating meaning through love, gratitude, service, and attention.

The book weaves together personal narrative, encounters with others, and philosophical insight, showing how sacredness can emerge in ordinary moments. Meals, conversations, acts of kindness, and grief all become places where wisdom takes root. Neshama’s approach is inclusive and humane, grounded in experience rather than abstraction.

This is not a how-to guide for perfection, but an invitation to presence, to live with intention while remaining open to imperfection.

My favorite quote from the book:

"My highest purpose is to live a sacred life connected to others, nature, and the divine through love, gratefulness, and acts of service."

- Rivvy Neshama, Recipes For a Sacred Life.

Questions to ponder while reading:

Do you speak your truth?

Do you compare yourself to others?

My review:

This is a quietly lovely book. Recipes for a Sacred Life doesn’t rush or argue; it listens. The wisdom here arrives through stories—about people, relationships, loss, and joy, allowing meaning to unfold naturally rather than being prescribed.

The philosophical reflections are thoughtful without being heavy, and the spiritual elements feel welcoming rather than dogmatic. What stands out most is the tone: compassionate, curious, and deeply human. Neshama writes as someone who has paid attention, learned from others, and chosen gratitude even when life is difficult.

This is a book to read slowly. One to return to. It leaves the reader not instructed, but encouraged—to notice more, to love more carefully, and to act with intention. A beautiful meditation on how a sacred life is made, one small choice at a time.

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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life

She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.

You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.

✨ #TakeTheBackRoads

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