Pinkney (Back Home; The Sunday Outing), a devout Christian who believes the Holy Spirit directs every aspect of her life, reminisces in 33 short entries about the times she has felt God's presence. Unfortunately, readers who do not already share the author's belief system may not see the workings of the divine so much as the merely coincidental. Faith guides the writer in opening the Bible to the right page, finding a kitten for a granddaughter, meeting a prayer partner in an airport, hearing "Gloria" over a department store's loudspeaker. Many "tellings" are reflections rather than stories. In "Color of Hope," for example, Pinkney remembers occasions when the color yellow has cheered her. The distinguished illustrators contribute graceful works in various media—husband Jerry delivers the handsome watercolor for the cover art; sons Brian and Myles contribute, respectively, scratchboard compositions and b&w photographs—but the art seems ornamental, not integral to this highly personal volume. All ages. (2001)
