Spiritual Divorce: Divorce as a Catalyst for an Extraordinary Life

Despite the deluge of books on divorce, Ford (The Dark Side of the Light Chasers) still manages to offer a fresh perspective on this difficult and potentially devastating experience, which she identifies as ""one of the darkest times in most people's lives."" Calling on the popular tenets of 12-step programs and A Course in Miracles, Ford advises readers to view divorce as a ""spiritual wake-up call"" that ""propels us to a journey of self-discovery,"" an opportunity to learn the lessons sent by the Universe or God, to ""align with the destiny of our higher selves [and] our soul's purpose."" While these tenets are no longer new, Ford applies them for the first time in this area, guiding readers with her Seven Spiritual Laws: Acceptance, Surrender, Divine Guidance, Responsibility, Choice, Forgiveness and Creation. Her clear and uncomplicated structure makes it easy for readers to absorb the underlying principles through meditation, prayer and the ""healing action steps"" presented at the end of each chapter. A workshop facilitator with the Chopra Center for Well Being, Ford knows the self-help/divorce audience intimately. Her first-hand experience of her parents' divorce as well as her own lends authenticity and empathy to what would otherwise be an abstract philosophy. Her voice is positive, encouraging, understanding, loving toward self and others and deeply personal, making this a better book than her first one; it could well become recommended reading for all divorcing couples. (Feb.) Forecast: The success of Ford's first book and her affiliation with Deepak Chopra will, along with her 12-city lecture tour, spur interest in this worthy book and prompt healthy sales.