Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God

It’s tricky business to mine one’s life as a source of inspiration for others, but in this collection of meditations derived from her own journey, the author succeeds in keeping the reader engaged, entertained, and often edified. “Live awake and aware for the wonder awaits,” Feinberg, a prolific writer of books (The Organic God), Christian study guides, and multimedia resources, exhorts her readers. Skilled at connecting her history with stories from Hebrew and Christian scriptures, the writer introduces readers to colorful characters, including her late grandfather, Cactus Jack, who in his 80s took up professional poker-playing. All of her stories are intended to help the reader see God’s wonder in his or her own life. Wise to the imperatives of the digital era, the “30 Days of Wonder” series of exercises that closes the book is linked to a “conversation” to take place on the writer’s Twitter feed and Facebook page after the book is published. While she occasionally veers into the precious (“the soft pinch of God’s presence”), Feinberg raises questions that linger in the mind after the book is closed. (Dec. 25)