Immigrant among Thorns The first complete intimate story of a struggling woman walks out of poverty into the Promised Land with courage strength and triumph. This beloved writer is an Immigrant among Thorns-Catherine Gray Taylor.

A new way for Christians to think about sexuality Author Miguel De La Torre, a well-respected ethicist and professorknown for his innovative readings of Christian doctrine, rejectsboth the liberal and conservative prejudices about sex. He insteaddevelops an ethic that is liberative yet grounded soundly in theBible; a sexuality that celebrates God’s gift of great sex byfostering intimacy, vulnerability and openness between lovingpartners. In A Lily Among the Thorns, De La Torre examines theBible, current events, history and our culture-at-large to show howand why racism, sexism, and classism have distortedChristianity’s central teachings about sexuality. The authorshows how the church’s traditionally negative attitudestoward sex in general—and toward women, people of color, andgays in particular—have made it difficult, if not impossible,to create a biblically based and just sexual ethic. But when theBible is read from the viewpoint of those who have beenmarginalized in our society, preconceived notions aboutChristianity and sex get turned on their heads. Taking onhot-button topics such as pornography, homosexuality, prostitution,and celibacy, the author examines how “reading from themargins” provides a liberating approach to dealing withissues of sexuality.

* Awarded RECOMMENDED status by US Review of Books * Awarded FIVE STARS by Readers Favorite Reviews Imagine yourself having one foot planted on one continent while the other foot is on another continent. A huge transformational step, isnt it? Thats precisely what Inno Onwuemes early-life story does. One foot is planted firmly in the traditional African village where age-old customs mingle with poverty, disease, ignorance, and deprivation. The other foot pivots tantalizingly in 1960s California, at the cutting edge of western civilization. Here, searing social and political upheavals of global significance were shaking the very foundations of modern America and the world. Add to the mix, a second dimension where your journey starts with a decade of colonial rule, and extends through the first decade of post-colonial independence, straddling both eras. And did we mention a civil war, and his becoming a refugee? It was a time of great fomentation personally, nationally and globally. Read this engaging story and enjoy it as a thrilling novel, richly spiced with African proverbs. Then pinch yourself and recall that this is not fiction. It all truly happened. This was a real life being lived in exciting times. Challenge yourself to explore how the changes of the political transition intertwined with Professor Innos transformation from an African village boy to a cosmopolitan man in America. Marvel at how the history of an era was acted out in microcosm by this village boy. LIKE A LILY AMONG THORNS takes global and national metamorphosis down to the personal level. It invites you to see history in a new light.

"Originally published in Great Britain by Portobello Books."

My reason for writing this book is to encourage people and let them know that no matter what is going on in their lives, everything happens for a reason. I am a firm believer that what we go through in our lives is necessary for our lives, and it is often necessary to help us to encourage someone else along the way.

A pregnancy! A birth! A child! What's next? Do you ever stop to think of what that line means in between the date of birth and date of death on a tombstone? How that little dash encompasses all the wonderful miracles, hardships, trials, and blessings a child would go through before he or she returns to the dust. Life is full of unexplained, unforeseen events that can cause an influx of various emotions, making you feel like you're on a rollercoaster of highs and lows. These emotions however can help shape your character either negatively or positively depending on how you handle each situation. Sometimes, we have heartaches and pains that plunge us into a valley of doubt and fear filled with deep depression. The days we spend in sorrow and despair may seem never ending; however, there are days filled with laughter and hope that cultivate the feeling of love, like the warm embrace of the sunshine that brings joy after the summer rain. Yes, it is true that life right now may seem chaotic, difficult, or painful at times, but even through this tumultuous life span, there is an inner strength and powerful force that guides and manoeuvres every decision you will make. With all that is happening around you, if you have that persistent will to survive, you can be this child, A Lily Amongst Thorns.

Peter Skrzynecki is a poet and fiction writer of Polish-Ukrainian descent. His poems are largely poems of reflection and observation, but in the course of their 'meditations' on experience they touch on the special pathos of immigrant families as they come to terms with a new and very foreign country.