Umbra, Penumbra & Me

Umbra, Penumbra and Me is a collection of the first four observational books written by Renée Paule. They chronicle her self-reflective philosophical journey in a style that’s amenable and engaging. Throughout this book, Renée questions the many facets of life that we take for granted by lifting the lid on convention, and challenging the status-quo – unlearning all that society has taught her in the process, and freeing her mind from conditioning. There is much to think about in these pages and it can make for uncomfortable reading, as questions we tend to avoid are raised and discussed – this is not, as Renée calls it, `cotton wool’ philosophy. This collection is `self-help’ in the truest sense; there are no answers provided and it is left to the reader to cogitate and draw their own conclusions – conclusions that Renée maintains we already know but shy away from. If there is one thing that stands out in this work it’s that `we’ are responsible for what happens in our world – there is no-one else to blame. You may not always like what you read herein, but will be hard-pressed to refute it.

Many years ago I wrote my autobiography - probably more as therapy than anything else; but life continued happening to me and I got to thinking: what good will this story do, isn't there enough misery in the world without me adding to it by writing more? I subsequently burnt it. It was around this time when I began searching for meaning in my life that I had a profound experience - a realisation that we're all connected, we're One. I began to question everything I knew, accepting nothing at face value, writing down these questions and the thoughts surrounding them. From this, my first book On The Other Hand - The Little Anthology of Big Questions was born. In my books I take an honest look at our quirky and often bizarre behaviour in society, challenging the status-quo we accept as unchangeable; questioning and pushing the boundaries we set ourselves - and those that have been set for us. I'm convinced that if we want to change our lives and change our world then we must first change ourselves - to take responsibility for the things we do and in doing so, take back the power that - in general - we don't realise we've given away. In my writings I give no answers to life's questions - we already have them and only need find the courage to recognise them, accept them and then act. I invite you to join me on my journey, questioning the society we call ours and the role we play within it.All but my first book 'On The Other Hand' are illustrated and the blurb for each of them is an accurate description of what to expect inside.