WomanPrayers : Prayers by Women from throughout History and Around the World - Hardcover

Mary Ford-Grabowsky is an award-winning writer, editor, and teacher with a specialty in the world's mystical traditions. Her publications include inspirational books, such as Prayers for All People and Sacred Poems and Prayers of Love, and many essays and scholarly articles. After receiving a master of divinity degree and a doctorate in theology and spirituality from Princeton Theological Seminary, she taught in the religious studies department of Regis College, later returning to Princeton to become editor of Fellowhsip in Prayer. In 1995 she moved to California at the invitation of the Episcopal theologian Matthew Fox to become vice president and academic dean of the Universtiy of Creation Spirituality in Oakland, where she today serves as a member of the adjunct faculty and board. Among honors she has received are an award from the ecumenical branch of the World Council of Churches for distinguished service in interfaith work. A translater who studed Spanish in Mexico and German, French, and Italian in Europe, she has been collecting and translating prayers for many years and is currently preparing a book of women's prayers for publication. She warmly invites readers of this book to send their favorite prayers to her at: P.O. Box 21267, Oakland, CA 94620-1267.

A run-down of some of this book's contributors-which include Marianne Williamson, Oriah Mountain Dreamer, Hildegard of Bingen, Ammachi, and anonymous Celtic and Native American authors-suggests that its intended audience is women interested in New Age and feminist spirituality. It certainly succeeds in providing well-sifted, prayerful reading for its target market. The book's greatest strength is the pride of place it gives to poetry, eschewing sappy, written-for-the-moment prayers in favor of reflective poems from many different times and spiritual traditions. Rita Dove and Denise Levertov get their due; Anne Lamott offers a poem of gratitude; and Madeleine L'Engle contributes a lovely three-line invocation. This feast of women's poetry would make a marvelous gift from one woman to another, or-perhaps more importantly-for a woman to give herself.
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