cover image Change Me Prayers: The Hidden Power of Spiritual Surrender

Change Me Prayers: The Hidden Power of Spiritual Surrender

Tosha Silver. Atria, $22 trade paper (248p) ISBN 978-1-4767-8976-7

This entertaining follow-up to Silver's first collection of stories, Outrageous Openness, applies her signature light touch to some weighty spiritual topics. The book balances formal prayers to the "Divine Beloved" with everyday examples from Silver's own life. Her gift for crystallizing the lessons hidden in the most mundane moments%E2%80%94when her Prius is pinned into a parking space by a huge SUV, for instance%E2%80%94makes her spiritual guidance accessible. The book is divided by topic, though Silver's placement of her brief pieces seems somewhat arbitrary; there is little reason, for example, for her story about an encounter with a fellow cyclist to be filed under prosperity rather than relationships. Fortunately, a quick guide offers direct access by subject so that readers can dip their toes into the topic most concerning to them, with entries such as desire, loss, and surrender leading directly to the pertinent prayers. As in her first book, Silver's prayers foster openness to the rich array of possibilities in life. (May)