Guide My Feet

September 1, 1995
"I set out to write . . . a policy book," says America's premier children's advocate, "but out tumbled prayers instead." Indeed they did, both her own and others' prayers. Edelman focuses them all on children and their needs and arrays them in four parts, respectively devoted to love and parenting, personal faith and courage, justice for children, and creating community leadership and congregational commitment to children's welfare. They are overwhelmingly cries for help in fighting a world wallowing in evil and are probably best read in a selective, devotional manner rather than straight through. Those who, while they acknowledge the righteousness of Edelman's regard for children, do not share her bleak, beleaguered vision may find the whole book off-putting and lacking in the love of God that Jesus enjoined. EngageBeacon Press is convinced that even such readers will find the prayers eloquent and moving enough to warrant the largest first printing in its history--100,000 copies. ((Reviewed Sept. 1, 1995))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1995, American Library Association.)