This Year for Joy will inspire, instruct, challenge, amuse, but most of all, delight the reader. The daily readings are a pot pourri of myths, meditations, poems and the occasional anecdote blended with stories and legends of long forgotten saints - the fabulous and the fantastic! These old stories offer wonderful food for the soul for those of us who are happy to dispense with historical accuracy as the only monitor of truth. The soul is nurtured by symbols, by poetry, myth and silence. In this collection the myths and stories stray a long way from the familiar and introduce the reader to a fabulous array of tales to tease the imagination and awaken delight. The interpretations, however, are contemporary, offering new ways to think about the spiritual life and challenging the well-worn comfort zones. The suggestions for meditation, prayer or action flow out of the theme for the day and are designed to apply to the everyday life of relationships, work and play, to encourage self-awareness for growth and self-nurture and to 'keep us mindful of the needs of others'. This Year for Joy is for people who like to have something useful and intelligent to pick up for a brief read. It will make an excellent bedtime book for people interested in spirituality and personal growth, and will appeal particularly, though not exclusively, to those who have been shaped by the Christian story.
