We all need God, Sister Jeremy says in her first sentence, and readers of all sorts will find here a warm and practical address to that need. The monastic way is not forsaking the world, but for the sake of the world, and Sister Jeremy's Benedictine wisdom is fundamental human wisdom. Her book is the fruit of decades of practice, and the spiritual journey she recounts is nobody's but hers 'which makes it, paradoxically, something from which everyone can learn. I did is much more effective teaching than one might or you should. There is nothing musty, cobwebbed, or nostalgic in these pages. Sister Jeremy, in her late 80s, is totally alert to the world around her and within us. She is allergic to sentimentality. Because she has spent so much time in silence 'she lived as a hermit for 20 years ' she is especially attentive to words and how like a chameleon they can be. Her antennae are sensitive to anything phony. Every sentence glows with her graceful and witty and hospitable spirit. She is an inspired teacher, a trustworthy guide, one of God's great ones. She shows how a monastic is not on a pedestal or behind a wall, but right in the thick of things with all of us. Jeremy Hal, OSB, is a member of Saint Benedict's Monastery, St. Joseph, Minnesota. She holds a doctorate in theology from Marquette University. Currently retired, Sister Jeremy taught theology at the College of St. Benedict/St. John's University and School of Theology 'seminary, and at Creighton University. She is the author of numerous articles as well as The Full Stature of Christ (Liturgical Press). Sister Jeremy lived as a hermit for twenty years. During that time she gained renown as a wellspring of wisdom and gifted retreat leader. Though Sr. Jeremy has spent a lifetime immersing herself in both the Christian and monastic traditions, what the reader receives here is clearly filtered through a very particular person. Her honest particularity is refreshing. American Benedictine Review Readers seeking insight into this God of invitations will find this volume a treasure. Catholic Library World This is a beautiful book—and so beautifully written: simple and profound. The Furrow Embracing the desert experience of silence, solitude, and simplicity helps to open ourselves to God and others. Sister Jeremy helps readers appreciate the value of the journey. Spiritual Woman FOREWORD by Kathleen Norris (Ash Wednesday, 2007): It is said that pilgrims visiting the ancient monasteries of the Egyptian desert could easily pick out the venerable Anthony in a crowd of monks, for this man who was renowned as a hermit literally glowed with hospitality. His life of prayer in solitude had rendered him visibly open and welcoming to others. This mystery of the monastic life--and it is a true mystery, not merely a paradox--is one that we also encounter in the life and work of Sister Jeremy Hall. I first had the privilege of meeting Sister Jeremy in the fall of 1990, when she was recommended to me as a spiritual confidant. But she is a hermit, I thought: would I not be intruding on her quiet life, making a difficult calling even more difficult? Approaching her with some trepidation I was glad to discover that she was genuinely hospitable, and one of the best listeners I have ever known. Sister Jeremy epitomizes one archetype of the monastic life, that of the person who may not have any special education, training, or certification in spiritual direction, yet is sought by a broad variety of people seeking wise counsel. Hildegard of Bingen was such a one, advising popes, princes, and peasants alike. If you are familiar with a monastic community you can probably name the person who is regularly consulted by the abbot or prioress as well as the newest postulant, a young mother from the parish, a teenager or two, and even the neighborhood dogs. If you are not familiar with monastic life, this book will provide an excellent introduction, for monasticism is but one expression of the human longing for God, and the questions that Sister Jeremy raises about seeking God in both solitude and community are essential ones for anyone, Christian or not, who desires a more balanced and holy life. As a compilation and distillation of years of Jeremy's retreat talks and musings, this volume is replete with gems. Her discovery that gratitude is the flip side of desire, for example, and that neither is sufficient unto itself. One sign that this book is a fruit of a truly contemplative life is that Sister Jeremy consistently embraces mystery and redefines aspects of human psychology and spirituality in such penetrating and liberating ways. Her insistence that silence reflects a reverence for speech, especially God's word; that humility is properly understood as authenticity; that true prayer unites the mind and heart. If we allow it, this book might seed and plow our souls, helping us to embrace more fully that life to which God is calling us, whatever it may be. We might more