In Becoming a Good Ancestor, Alexandra Asseily blends personal storytelling, spiritual insight, and lived experience into a series of heartfelt reflections on how to live well and leave a legacy rooted in love, forgiveness, and awareness. Through a collection of short chapters, some philosophical, some practical, many deeply emotional, she invites readers to examine the scars of their personal and collective pasts and transform them into something healing and generative. Drawing from her background in psychotherapy and decades of peace work in Lebanon, Asseily shares wisdom shaped by war, loss, family history, and reconciliation.

Reading this book felt like sitting down with a wise and kind grandmother who’s seen a lot, made peace with most of it, and wants you to avoid her mistakes. The writing is soft and slow, in the best way. It meanders sometimes, but never aimlessly. I was moved by how openly Asseily talked about pain, especially the inherited kind. Her stories about her grandmother’s coldness or her uncle’s death in war weren’t shared for drama, they were shared to show how these unresolved hurts can ripple through generations. What stayed with me most was her idea of the “unquiet dead” and how healing isn’t just for the living. The idea that we carry unfinished business from those who came before us is heavy, but she makes it feel hopeful.

The stories she tells are powerful, but her writing style tends to cushion everything in warmth. This is probably intentional as she’s modeling compassion and healing. That said, when she’s blunt, it hits hard. Her reflections on hate, envy, and guilt were especially clear-eyed and honest. I also appreciated that she didn’t try to sound “academic” even though she’s clearly educated. She just tells it how she’s lived it.

I’d recommend this book to anyone feeling stuck, weighed down by the past, or wondering how to make peace with where they come from. It’s not a “how-to” guide, and it’s not trying to be one. It’s a companion, something to read in quiet moments and return to over time. It’ll speak most deeply to people who are looking inward or trying to understand what healing actually means, especially in a world that keeps repeating old mistakes. If you’re ready to do some soul work, not with checklists but with stories, this is a lovely place to start.

Pages: 81 | ASIN : B0DW4BDJQZ