Before the battle begins, Carrie's house is commandeered for a field hospital and all normal life is suspended. Carrie is anything but normal, however. She has buried three children, has two living children she pays little attention to, has turned the running of the house over to her slave, Mariah, and spends her time dressed in black walking around in the dark or lying down lamenting her loss. She is a morbid figure from the outset but becomes less so as the novel progresses. The death going on all around her shakes her out of her torpor, but death is definitely her comfort zone.

One of the soldiers who is treated at the house is Zachariah Cashwell, who loses his leg when Carrie sends him to surgery rather than watch him die. They are inextricably bound in some kind of a spiritual dance from then on. Their reasons for being drawn to each other are inexplicable, apparently, because they remain unexplained, and when Cashwell tells Carrie he loves her, she beats him nearly to death because she loves him too. At least, that is the reason Hicks gives. He violates that first caveat given to all writers: "show us, don't tell us." There is doubtless something deeply flawed in Carrie and screamingly symbolic about her behavior; it is surely elusive. Too bad, because Carrie was a real person whom Hicks lauds for her compassion and ability to grieve without end. Then, he throws in this gratuitous "love story" and confuses the issue. Carrie's relationship with her husband and children remains unexamined. Hicks is better at describing death and "the stink of war" than he is at life. If you read War and Peace and loved all the war parts and were bored senseless by the peace parts, this is your cup of tea. --Valerie Ryan

This refreshing look at the scriptural model for family relationships and responsibilities is at first unsettling but ultimately liberating, placing Jesus Christ and the will of his Father at the center of the family of God.

Author info Robert M. Hicks, a popular speaker, is the author of Returning Home, Uneasy Manhood, and The Masculine Journey. He is chaplain in the Air National Guard and board chairman of Life Counseling Services, a professional center for Christian counseling located near Philadelphia.

Hicks names Nashville "the Mecca of dreamers." His opening essay and selected profiles introduce readers to the congregation that calls the city home. Like pilgrims trekking to a shrine, the subjects of Arnaud's portraits have packed their prayers into a guitar case and pointed their thumbs toward, as the truckers call it, Guitar Town. Established stars Dolly Parton and Alan Jackson, fresh faces Nate Berret and Gretta Gains, surprising arrivals Peter Frampton and Bela Fleck-Michel Arnaud's gallery of musicians runs the gamut from bluegrass legends to alternative rockers. Some have seen their wishes come true, some never will, but this wonderful collection of captivating images proves that the journey itself is its own destination.

Social mores, the feminist movement, the church, and the self-help movement have given women a myriad of messages about who they should be. But when they seek to live out all these messages at once, women often feel more frantic than fulfilled. So what's the answer?

A woman needs an identity that goes beyond self-fulfillment, primary relationships, or any of the possibilities in between, say Cynthia and Robert Hicks. Her true identity is found in who is as an individual designed by her Creator-and that may look different at the various stages of her life.

In The Feminine Journey, the Hickses explore the biblical terms and examples that shed light on the normative experiences in a woman's life. As they examine the rich characteristics and opportunities-as well as the challenges and limitations-of each stage, they provide a compelling look at the real essence of womanhood.

No matter where you've been or where you are now in your journey as a woman, The Feminine Journey will give you a sense of direction-and make it a trip worth taking.

"Reading Cinny and Bob Hicks' The Feminine Journey is itself a fascinating excursion. Their landscape is rich with a variety of research, stories, and biblical insight. Best of all, our destination is the heart of God, who delights in the feminine soul."-Nancy Groom, author of From Bondage to Bonding and Married without Masks

"The Feminine Journey avoids pious platitudes and instead presents a valuable overview of a journey that will inspire and encourage women at all stages of life. This is the truth I want and need."-Bobbe Evans, director, Pro Athletes Outreach TABLE OF CONTENTS: Foreword Chapter 1: A Woman's Uneasy Journey Chapter 2: Creational Woman-A Woman of Contrary Appetites Chapter 3: The Young Woman-The Alchemy of Beauty Chapter 4: The Nurturer-The Maternal Mystique Chapter 5: The Relational Woman-Uniquely Feminine Chapter 6: The Wounded Woman-Necessary Losses Chapter 7: The Woman of Strength-A Steel Magnolia

A woman needs an identity that goes beyond self-fulfillment, primary relationships, or any of the possibilities in between, say Cynthia and Robert Hicks. Her true identity is found in who she is as an individual designed by her Creator-and that may look different at the various stages of her life.

Perfect for individual or small-group use, The Feminine Journey Discussion Guide explores six Hebrew and Greek terms for "woman" that shed light on the many different characteristics, opportunities, and challenges of each stage of womanhood.

No matter where you or the members of your group are in your journey, The Feminine Journey Discussion Guide will give you a sense of identity and direction-and make it a trip worth taking. TABLE OF CONTENTS: How to Use This Guide Chapter 1: A Woman's Uneasy Journey Chapter 2: Creational Woman-A Woman of Contrary Appetites Chapter 3: The Young Woman-The Alchemy of Beauty Chapter 4: The Nurturer-The Maternal Mystique Chapter 5: The Relational Woman-Uniquely Feminine Chapter 6: The Wounded Woman-Necessary Losses Chapter 7: The Woman of Strength-A Steel Magnolia Help For Leaders