Much-Afraid had been in the service of the Chief Shepherd, whose great flocks were pastured down in the Valley of Humiliation. She lived with her friends and fellow workers Mercy and Peace in a tranquil little white cottage in the village of Much-Trembling. She loved her work and desired intensely to please the Chief Shepherd, but happy as she was in most ways, she was conscious of several things which hindered her in her work and caused her much secret distress and shame. Here is the allegorical tale of Much-Afraid, an every-woman searching for guidance from God to lead her to a higher place.

An allegory of the nine spices mentioned in Song of Solomon compared with the nine fruits of the Spirit.

What a terrible thing at a time like this: to own a house, and the trees around it. Janet sat rigid in her seat. The plane lifted from the city and her house fell away, consumed by the other houses. Janet worried about her own particular garden and her emptied refrigerator and her lamps that had been timed to come on at six. So begins "Mycenae," a story in The High Places, Fiona McFarlane's first story collection. Her stories skip across continents, eras, and genres to chart the borderlands of emotional life. In "Mycenae," she describes a middle-aged couple's disastrous vacation with old friends. In "Good News for Modern Man," a scientist lives on a small island with only a colossal squid and the ghost of Charles Darwin for company. And in the title story, an Australian farmer turns to Old Testament methods to relieve a fatal drought. Each story explores what Flannery O'Connor called "mystery and manners." The collection dissects the feelings--longing, contempt, love, fear--that animate our existence and hints at a reality beyond the smallness of our lives. Salon's Laura Miller called McFarlane's The Night Guest "a novel of uncanny emotional penetration . . . How could anyone so young portray so persuasively what it feels like to look back on a lot more life than you can see in front of you?" The High Places is further evidence of McFarlane's preternatural talent, a debut collection that reads like the selected works of a literary great.

Before the nation came to know them as the President and First Lady, Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham were close friends of Webb Hubbell's. Now Hubbell offers insight into how he and the Clintons climbed the political ranks from Arkansas to the White House. Included in this book are intricate tales of Hubbell's support of Bill Clinton in his tensest moments; his friendship with Hillary Rodham Clinton; the tragic death of Vince Foster; details of involvement in Whitewater; an inside look at the Justice Department and partnership with Janet Reno; and insights into famous personalities such as Mac McLarty, Bernie Nussbaum, Bruce Lindsey, Mickey Kantor, and George Stephanopoulos. Hubbell's story is told from the perspective of one who personally knows the President and First Lady. Their friendship began when Hubbell and Hilary Rodham Clinton were partners at Little Rock's Rose Law Firm; and when Bill Clinton worked as Governor of Arkansas, Hubbell served with him as Mayor of Little Rock, and later as chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court. Hubbell joined the Clintons in the White House as associate attorney general, the third highest ranking member of the Justice Department. His political career ended, however, with the Whitewater scandal and incarceration in federal prison. Why Hubbell committed the crimes he assumes responsibility for are detailed; a conflicted soul struggling with the cynical maelstrom of power and politics. Hubbell comments on his resignation and prison sentence, and reflects on his old friends whom have since isolated him from the White House. The journey is Webb Hubbell's, yet his recounting resonates with the humanity in us all: the love he shares with his wife and family, the grief over losing friends to death or circumstances, and humility when faced with calamity. In the end Hubbell faces the truth with a steadfastness seldom seen in Washington.

Since his existence the human being has explored various ways in his quest for God. Part of this search is related to humanity's yearning for true harmony and joy in the world. Christian spirituality, as a unique spirituality one encounters today, imparts various ways one can respond to this longing. One of these ways is through allegorical narratives. Specifically, this study analyzes the spirituality of Hannah Hurnard (1905-1990) by intertextually perusing her most famous allegorical narrative "Hinds' Feet on High Places." A Journey to the High Places is divided into four chapters. In chapter 1 the allegorical narrative is subjectively considered in all its aspects and the central themes are expressed without any reference to other secondary connections. Chapter 2 analyzes the allegorical narrative by relating this narrative with other material that Hannah Hurnard published. These other narratives provide the tools which Hannah employed in the composition of this allegorical narrative. Thus, chapter 2 presents an intertexual analysis between her other publications and "Hinds' Feet on High Places." Likewise, chapter 3 presents another intertextual analysis between the many biblical abstracts and their relation to the narrative, in the hope of showing her biblical interpretations. Several spiritual themes that emerged from the preceding chapters are discussed in chapter 4, presenting a consistent spirituality. In presenting the themes one notes that the strong points and weaknesses of Hannah's spirituality are related to other Christian spiritual traditions. In order to conduct a comprehensive study the introductory section of this study deals with the significance of allegory and spirituality.

Dr. Simon Grace is missing ... vanishing suddenly from the streets of Jerusalem. What is happening to this prominent televangelist? Has he been snared by terrorists? Or by something even more sinister -- demonic forces of spiritual darkness battling for his very life ... and his soul?

Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard is one of the most read Christian novels in modern times. This thought-provoking study guide will help you get the most from the story of Much-Afraid as she learns to follow the Chief Shepherd. The questions and activities are designed to benefit people at all levels of spiritual growth. It can be used for individual or group study by teens or adults.