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Moving Miss Peggy, Robert Benson (Abingdon)
Robert Benson is one of our finest writers. If you have not read him, I suggest you do so now. Miss Peggy is Robert’s mom, and this masterful story narrates Peggy’s diagnosis of dementia and the journey that followed, both for her and for her children. Robert lets us in on conversations they shared, questions they pondered and fears they confronted. The story leads to the day when Peggy has to be moved out of her house and the day when she realizes she will never return home. This is a story of a son and his mother. This is a story for all of us.
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Fully Alive: A Biblical Vision of Gender that Frees Men and Women to Live Beyond Stereotypes, Larry Crabb (Baker)
I’m unfamiliar of any topic more problematic and more fraught with potential to cause hurt than the issue of gender. Our society seems perplexed about how to have thoughtful conversations about issues of masculinity and femininity, and the church has done no better at gaining clarity. Obviously, Crabb will not offer the final word on the topic, and he holds guiding assumptions that deserve careful attention. However, Crabb combines biblical underpinning, psychological acumen and a pastoral heart as his contribute to the conversation. Essentially, Crabb’s work asks this question: “What does it mean to be fully alive as a male or female for the glory of God?” Wherever we land with an answer, we will be better for asking this question.
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Winn Collier (www.winncollier.com) is the author of three books, a columnist and pastor of All Souls, a congregation in Charlottesville, Va.