"An intense, complex book -- worthy of a high recommendation." -- "Bookstore Journal" What do we need from a friend? It depends on what "season" of our life we're in, proposes Marjory Bankson. In spring, we need friends to nurture our new growth; in summer we gravitate toward friends who invite us to play; in autumn, we gather with friends to celebrate life's "harvest"; in winter, we are drawn to friends to walk with us in silence. Starting from this premise that our friendship needs vary with the changing seasons of our lives, Bankson explores the contemporary relevance of the biblical story of Naomi and Ruth -- two women who stood together through marriages and moves, death, and displacement. Each chapter includes journaling questions for reflection and discussion.

It's an old cliché that books 'transport you'; but as any avid reader will tell you, there's far more to them than that. Alongside comfort and retreat, books offer insight into ourselves and others; they tell us how the world is, was or might be; they are windows into other worlds, whose meanings resonate through the ages. It's this multiplicity that is at the heart of bibliotherapy, the ancient practice of reading for therapeutic effect. Reading the Seasons charts the evolution of a friendship through candid letters between bibliotherapists Germaine Leece and Sonya Tsakalakis. Ignited by a shared love of reading, of finding a book for every occasion, every emotion - both for themselves and for their clients - their conversations soon confront life's ups and downs. The authors they reach for range from Stephen King to Javier Marias, Helen Garner to Maggie O'Farrell, as they reflect upon loss, change, parenting, careers, simple pleasures, travel, successes, fears and uncertainty. Reading the Seasons not only offers an entryway to new titles but affirms the power of books to console, heal and hold us together as friends and as individuals.

Drawing on the biblical story of Ruth and Naomi, Bankson explores what we can learn from their unique friendship that survived marriages and moves, death and displacement. Bankson proposes that we need different kinds of friendships in different seasons of our lives. Stories from the author's own life illustrate the contemporary aspects of Ruth and Naomi's journey. The concluding chapter presents a unique perspective on the Book of Ruth as a parable of our friendship with God. The first title in the new Women to Walk With series, Seasons of Friendship includes personal journaling themes for reflection and a study guide with discussion questions and group exercises.

Robbie the Raccoon and his friends love Father Oak and worry that he is sick when his leaves begin to turn color and fall off, but Robbie's mother explains what the change means and helps him plant some acorns as a sign of hope for spring.

Laugh, cry, reflect, share, heal. Each of us needs to know that someone out there understands. Let's celebrate love and friendship as the greatest catalyst to healing and growth.