Seeking the Light: A Story of Quaker Culture and Homewood Friends Meeting (Books in Brief)

By Emma Hohenstein. Self-published, 2014. 90 pages. $30/hardcover.

This short book is the precursor to young author and photographer Emma Hohenstein’s senior thesis project of researching Quaker archives, mapping the arc of Quakerism, and using personal narrative and direct sources to illustrate the importance of an involved younger generation of Friends. The setting for Seeking the Light is Homewood Meeting in Baltimore, Md., and the rich contents bounce back and forth between the historic and the contemporary, with beautiful photos of Homewood’s simple meetinghouse (Hohenstein’s skilled eye for light and perspective shines through), scans of old documents, interviews with current activist Friends, and theory on Quaker practice. Friends will be grateful for this young woman’s work documenting not only the stories of one Quaker community, but also her own spiritual journey.

EmmaHohenstein.com