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How would the most cherished stories of Christianity, Judaism and Islam be different if women were the active central figures?
This ground-breaking collection of short stories brings to life the women—daring, brave, thoughtful and wise—who played important and exciting roles in the early days of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Join Esther as she stands against injustice and her king to save her people, Aisha as she leads hundreds of men into terrifying battle and Mary as she and Elizabeth dream of the new lives growing inside them. How must Sarah have felt, turning Hagar out into the desert? And how must Hagar have felt, traveling from the safety and security of Abraham's land toward an uncertain future? These stories invite us to come to know and appreciate the struggles and triumphs of these women—mothers, daughters, believers and seekers.
"Recovery of the wisdom of women in the great Abrahamic religions is long overdue. Daughters of the Desert is a knock-out contribution to that project. Read the stories, fill your heart, share the wealth with others. This book deserves to become a classic of twenty-first century spiritual reading. Cherish it."
—Mitch Finley, author of Prayer for People Who Think Too Much and The Joy of Being Catholic
"These engaging stories of women, some of whom are important to all three religions, and some known only to one, help build bridges of understanding between religions and demonstrate the importance of religion in our lives."
—Dr. Freda Crane, member, Islamic Society of North America
"How refreshing to find the stories of Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions. They are like water in the desert offering new voices and new hope to our generation."
—Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, author of Cain & Abel: Finding the Fruits of Peace and But God Remembered: Stories of Women from Creation to the Promised Land
"Some stories speak powerful narratives. Others point to new understandings of our world. Still others ask questions of justice, mercy, and devotion within communities. Daughters of the Desert speaks and points and questions in all three ways, with stories about women from three spiritual traditions. Their ancient journeys—Jewish, Christian, and Muslim—startlingly and wonderfully like our own, call us to and encourage us in our own paths to God."
—Gary Schmidt, author of Winter: The Spiritual Biography of the Season and William Bradford: Plymouth's Faithful Pilgrim
Timeline of the Stories
Introduction
Jewish Stories
A Thousand Wrinkles
A story of Sarah
River Journey
A story of Shiphrah
A Dance in the Desert
A story of Miriam
The Pool of Siloam
A story of Huldah
O Come My Beloved
A story of Shoshana
Return to Hadassah
A story of Esther
Christian Stories
Woman to Woman
A story of Mary of Nazareth
Crumbs from the Table
A story of Eleni
Will I Drink of His Cup?
A story of Salome
Servant to Truth
A story of Binah
Love Casts Out Fear
A story of Mary Magdalene
Weaving a Church
A story of Lydia
Muslim Stories
The Night Wind
A story of Eve
The Waters of Zamzam
A story of Hagar
A Faith Blossoms
A story of Khadija
Prayers in the Darkness
A story of Fatima
The Merchant Boys' Prank
A story of Zarah
The Dogs of al-Haw’ab
A story of Aisha
Further Reading
Authors’ Note
Acknowledgments
Reader’s Discussion Guide