Inspiring and touching, those are two great, fitting words to describe “The Unknown Mother”.... I didn’t think I’d learn a lot from this. I took a class on “finding your true voice” about five years ago, and it didn’t do much for me. But this was completely different. Explanations were clear, rational, and easy to understand. I felt like I was learning alongside the main character....A solid, inspiring book for everyone looking for their true voice. ~ I'm An Eclectic Reader Blog, http://imaneclecticreader.wordpress.com/2013/12/28/book-review-the-unknown-mother/

This is a great and powerful journey into the world of sound -- by a masterful long time practitioner of toning and voice training. This is worthwhile reading and practice for anyone who has had difficulties with their physical voice. The techniques to open the voice box and throat area are amazing. But as important is the meaning of words, voice, and silence. For anyone who has trouble finding their voice to speak up for themselves, or just as important, learning to master silence, this is an incredibly valuable resource. ~ Dr. Gene Nathan, MD, Amazon

Anyone interested in the power of sound will get a great deal out of this book. The format - of a soul momma called Matrina (who turns out to be a Sound Goddess), appearing to a singer and instructing her how to use her voice to transform herself and the world - also serves as a fascinating manual for the reader. I chimed with the truths in this book: the Earth was sounded into being ('In the beginning was the Word'); every cell vibrates and therefore emits a sound; we can learn to vibrate at a higher, lighter frequency if we, too, want to evolve spiritually. I'm intrigued by the idea of evolving into a new paradigm in this way - one that isn't afraid to question the old 'certainties'. An example of this is when Matrina tells Wrenne: 'If we were truly healed...we wouldn't even need to have (separate) chakras,' and goes on to say that she sees our natural state as being encompassed by a single, rainbow chakra. What a beautiful image. And that's the first time I've ever heard a suggestion that our chakra system could evolve in this way. There are revelations in this book - not just for those who are already enthusiasts of toning, chanting, and sound healing - but also for those who are still searching for ways to find their 'true voice'. ~ C. A. Mathews, Author of Transfomring Pandora

This author presents a magical story, with a lively goddess, the Unknown Mother, Matrina. She shows up to teach a vocalist (and the reader) about the power of sound. She details many facts about the energy of the throat chakra, as well as the energy of letters, words, and our unique, individual voices. More importantly, Matrina, the servant of Sacred Sound, challenges each of us to grow in our awareness of the spiritual impact of every utterance we make. In addition to this delightful goddess scenario, there are many practical tips and exercises for one to better utilize this healing modality. The benefits of chanting, toning and using our own inner knowing are simply amazing - not to mention the power in silence. One sentence at the end of the book sums it up for me: "Sound is a palace in which God resides." Wow. ~ Deborah Lloyd, Author of Believe and It Is True

"Voice” is a loaded concept for a woman. For centuries, our collective voices have been suppressed, unheard, or silenced altogether. This is not a small matter. Many of us spend years trying to find our voice, gaining the confidence to use it and the state of being to remain relatively unscathed when that same voice is ridiculed.....As I was reading The Unknown Mother, I wondered how many are even ready for a book of this magnitude. As I read on, though, I was reminded that books meet us where we are. We take from them what we are able and, sometimes, if we read them again a year or more later, we are ready for much more....I say I was rendered speechless, but not in the literal sense. There are simply no appropriate words to really explain this book. It has a message for everyone and... there is much more to it than I can voice. ~ Brenda Seright Williams, Sophie Magazine

This book was fascinating. I had no idea there was so much to know and glean from sound. Dielle takes us on a journey guided by the all-knowing Matrina, a journey to heal and to understand. At first it's an introduction to sounds, voice and words. During the beginning of the book I found myself thinking back to the birth of my second son. I remember leaning against my bedroom wall and swaying through a contraction and making a deep, low moan. My midwife said: "That is a very helpful, healing sound." After reading The Unknown Mother, I have a much better comprehension of what she meant. Matrina's teaching goes deeper as the book progresses and the point becomes to open up to a way of being in the world that uses our gifts help us awaken. The format is fun: a guidebook told in novel form with clever banter woven in with life-changing lessons. I very much enjoyed this window into Dielle's experience and wisdom. ~ Danielle Boonstra, Author of Without Fear of Falling

Dielle Ciesco has magically tapped into the sacred shamanic voice that resides deep in the heart of all creation. Matrina, the Unknown Mother, reminds us that sound and words have the power to heal what ails humanity when we are willing to surrender to the Great Mystery. As the creator of Shamanic Breathwork Journeys, I believe that Matrina must have been whispering her wisdom in my ears these many years while I slept! ~ Linda Star Wolf, Author of Visionary Shamanism: Activating the Imaginal Cells of the Human Energy Field

In The Unknown Mother, author Dielle Ciesco has drawn together insightful wisdom, practical exercises, and powerful realizations of many of the greater understandings of all that sound is and can be, in a most creative approach. Through the eyes of a student, in a playful novel form, she incorporates the experienced discernment of an other-worldly teacher, offering penetrating messages on the power of the spoken word, the use of voice and intention in singing, mantra & toning, and the clarity that arises through silence, offering real life application to this most expansive body of knowledge, reaching toward one's authentic being and potential. ~ Zacciah Blackburn, PhD, Director, the Center of Light Institute of Sound Healing and Shamanic Studies & Director of Education, the International Sound Healing Network

The Unknown Mother is a must-read for anyone looking to deepen their connection to their authentic voice and tune to their inner vibration. Dielle beautifully shares powerful teachings in a light-hearted, fun manner that will effortlessly guide you into a brand new relationship with sound, love, and your own freedom. ~ HeatherAsh Amara, Author of The Toltec Path of Transformation

Truly, I have not read such a well-timed and inspirational message in a long time. At the juncture of quantum reconstruction and nuclear annihilation, mankind may be ready to rewrite the chronicle of this present dysfunctional civilization. If you are ready for the next level, read this book. The Unknown Mother within you is waiting for your commands. She wants to coach you and teach you how to positively bring into play the power to speak in a new healing language. By the power of sound and speech, we can turn today’s tragic failures into a new triumphant reality. Modify your vocabulary and you revolutionize your destiny. Alter the way you string together yours words and you automatically renovate the sense of your personal history. Be aware of the supernatural properties of the words you use constantly and you gradually free yourself from the psychological dungeon of your own script. Learn how to really breathe again in harmony with the shamanic music of your universal life. The Unknown Mother is not only a wonderful Goddess of Sound; she is also a spiritual healer who knows the art of cleansing and purifying all distressing residues stuck within the cells of our body. Immersed in this spellbinding story, the reader will be impressed by Ciesco’s knowledge about the hidden force of her or his own human voice. I myself was fascinated to read about how my repressed emotions have a profound impact on my ability to express myself and adjust my entire life. Ciesco writes about some real universal solutions: learning to truly communicate and listen to others; transcending judgment with discernment; becoming our own healer; freeing our subconscious from traumatic emotions; and, more important, coming to a much deeper acceptance of what is here and now. At the end of the story, we harness the capacity to create what comes next. Being a victim is not an option anymore. ~ Patrick Barnard, Author of Music As Yoga: Discover the Healing Power of Sound (Mandala Publishing)

In the Unknown Mother, Dielle takes us on a journey into the magical world of sound through the power of story. She makes this unseen world accessible by weaving together elements both imagined and real, and gives us tools for going deeper into its mysteries. This book is helping me in my own work as a singer-songwriter, and as as an herbalist who hears the voices of the plant devas. We will all be empowered to raise our voices in a new song for a new earth through Dielle's unveiling of the frequencies of The Unknown Mother, who literally creates our world. ~ Thea Summer Deer, PhD, Author of Wisdom of the Plant Devas: Herbal Medicine for a New Earth

Refreshingly deep and harmonically sweet. ~ Francis Rico, Author of A Shaman's Guide to Deep Beauty: Connecting with the Mojo of the Universe

Dielle Ciesco has written a marvelous book on a hugely important (but often overlooked) issue -- the power of sound, words, our voice. It is filled with wit, wisdom, and heart. As someone who used to stutter and is challenged to find my voice and convey my message, I am so moved with what she has done here. She has opened up the beauty of our voice, and placed it in a far broader perspective, that of the spiritual. Many do not realize the link between sound and Spirit, and Ciesco does that superbly. She writes, "Are we in harmony with the Great Sound? Do we breed forgiveness or hatred with the words we speak? Do we give form to self-pity and blame or to maturity and wisdom? Do we relinquish our masterpiece to our reasoning minds, ignoring the awkward thud that deflates our spirit? Do we allow the voices of others to influence our melody with fear or with hope? What are the consequences to our choices? Someone is always listening. What are you saying?" The book is fiction and kind of reminiscent of Richard Bach's Illusions, which is also about an eccentric mentor and filled with deep truth. As I was reading it, I found myself trying out the experiences of the central character, as if the book was a non-fiction manual. I love the idea that "language is a form of food and that we're feeding all day long, every day of the week." This book has really opened my eyes to the effect that sound has in my environment, even the sound of my own thoughts, and on my experience of reality. Highly recommended ~ Eric Meyers, Author of The Astrology of Awakening