VERO BEACH — An upcoming book review event in Vero Beach will explore themes of bravery and self-awareness, drawing on a bishop’s guide to navigating life’s pivotal moments.
Carol Ludwig, executive director of the Vero Beach Center for Spiritual Care, is set to review “How We Learn to Be Brave” by Mariann Edgar Budde at a breakfast gathering sponsored by the local chapter of the American Association of University Women.
The free event starts at 9:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 5, in the Richardson Center on the Indian River State College campus. Attendees can enjoy breakfast snacks while Ludwig discusses the book, which Budde describes as a roadmap for building courage through faith and discernment.
“The courage to be brave when it matters most requires a lifetime of small decisions that set us on a path of self-awareness, attentiveness, and willingness to risk failure for what we believe is right,” Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C., writes in the book. “I want to expand our notion of what constitutes a decisive moment, for they come in many forms.”
Ludwig brings a background in spiritual direction, shaped by training at institutions like the Washington Theological Union, the Shalem Institute and Mercy Center. She has taught at programs including Audire, Loyola University in New Orleans, Sacred Heart University and others.
No prior reading of the book is required to attend, organizers said. The public is welcome, and participants are encouraged to donate new or gently used children’s books to support four Little Free Libraries in the community.
The Vero Beach AAUW chapter, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, hosts the series to promote education and equity for women and girls.