Excellently written.

Wonderful story, excellent quality!

Artistically pleasing
Spiritually uplifting

Wonderful biography of a holy man!

It’s a beautiful icon; but smaller than I expected.

If this man isn't a saint I don't know who is.

Another beautiful card from Ancient Faith.

Informative and well written. Enjoyed it thoroughly!

This is a beautiful book. At the time of my reading, I was 36-38 weeks pregnant, and nothing else I have read during this first pregnancy has made me feel as seen, as understood, and as valued as this book does.

Each week's reading left me contemplating not only new ways to comprehend my pregnancy (who knew belly buttons could symbolize so much?!), but gave me entirely new ways to understand and appreciate familiar Gospel passages and to think about God and salvation. What's more, the book is a testament to raw feminine strength, and it points out where God tells us He knows as much. I finished every chapter feeling more at peace and closer to the divine.

The best gift this book has given me, though, is a new way of thinking about and loving the little one currently growing in my womb. Transforming my daily wrestle with nausea into an opportunity to practice the most intimate hospitality; invoking a saint's prayers while simultaneously calling my child's name; sharing the gleaming beauty of campfires and sunsets with this new person... These are just a few of the simple ways this book has reminded me that I am blessed and humbled to be this little person's mother, and that I am uniquely strong enough for the role.

Through the pages, you can sense Laura's deep affection and respect for all women and simultaneously perceive her prayer for you and your baby. It can sometimes feel tricky to find women's voices amidst the centuries' worth of Church writings; it fills me with joy knowing that Laura's voice will now be cited among the ranks of other Orthodox writers and saints for her profound articulation of the sacredness of this journey.

I would recommend Fertile Ground to anyone seeking to plumb more deeply the spiritual mysteries of pregnancy and birth. I am grateful it exists and plan to spread it widely.

I bought it for my grandson and loved it.

I can't believe no one has written this book before! Pregnancy is such a ripe time for contemplation and spiritual growth. But somehow books about it always seem to get stuck on the physical. Laura's book weds a woman's physical expansion to the expansion of her spirit and mind as she follows the pathway to Life. I read an advance copy of this book and it has blown my socks off - and I haven't been pregnant in 10 years! It's brought back to mind every pondering my heart explored during the decade I was carrying my babies. And now that they are are grown, the truths I found while carrying them have come to me on these pages, full grown and powerful. Do yourself a favor and buy this book and give it away. Buy it and give it away. Just like a child, it will expand you and then you must share it with the world. I am buying a dozen so I'll have one on hand every time I hear a friend is embarking on a pregnancy. Fertile Ground will be my gift to them as they take the pilgrimage of their lifetime.

What a beautiful and desperately needed book for pregnant women! Fertile Ground is a series of weekly readings corresponding to the weeks of gestation. Each week, the author shares personal stories from her own pregnancies, stories from other women, and meditations on scripture that correspond with that week’s focus. It all comes together in a lovely guide for a woman’s pilgrimage through pregnancy.

What I loved about this book was the overall tone, softness, and reverence for the experience of the pregnant woman, explained within a spiritual framework of birth as an ageless miracle that happens every single day. In a society that commoditizes everything from the moment of announcing your pregnancy and revealing the baby’s sex to buying the right baby gear and sending out picture-perfect birth announcements, it’s so refreshing to read a meditation in the deeper meanings at the roots of life.

As someone who has read a huge variety of pregnancy books, both for my own edification while pregnant and from a general interest in the topic, I can tell you this book is different. I look forward to sharing it with the expectant mothers in my life. What a blessing. “Perhaps it’s most honest to admit that, in both enriching ways and challenging ones, after having a baby we are forever postpartum.” As a mom of two, I couldn’t agree more.

I gratefully received an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I especially loved being in church when pregnant—praying with my hands resting on my pregnant belly, singing hymns and knowing my babies’ little ears were listening, breathing in the love of Christ to share with my babies and breathing out the cares and stresses of life. Each time I received communion when pregnant, Christ’s body and blood became part of the yarn knitting together the child in my womb. I felt and treasured all these things, but when I looked for books on pregnancy to put words to this, to link my experiences to those of other Orthodox Christian women throughout time, and to nurture me spiritually as I grew my babies, I couldn’t find anything. Now, I’ve found it! Fertile Ground is the book to fill the void. Laura Jannson weaves the wisdom of her motherhood, her calling as a doula, medical science, the scriptures, our Orthodox Church, and the lives of Saints into precious reflections for pregnant mothers—no, for us all. As a physician-mother who has breastfed for over a cumulative 14 years and practices breastfeeding medicine (to help others when what is “natural” doesn’t seem to come naturally), my favorite chapter is “Week 32: Milk”. Laura shares a mountain of breastfeeding information and empowerment while framing it all elegantly with the image of the Mother of God-Milkgiver icon. I do wish someone had shared this icon (and chapter) with me one of the many times I hid in the seminary chapel’s coat closet, embarrassed to nurse our firstborn. I now have this icon in my office at work to greet me and guide my mindset and my heart each day as I prepare to care for mothers and babies; I will be happy to have Fertile Ground displayed right beside it when my copy arrives! Thank you, Laura, for sharing your gifts with us.

This book, written by Orthodox Christian doula Laura Jansson , is my new favorite pregnancy/new baby book and will be my go-to gift for pregnant friends from here on out. It is broken down into chapters/weekly reflections (one for each gestational week of pregnancy) that speak about topics an expectant mother may be experiencing at a particular stage in her pregnancy. The chapters provide a wealth of spiritual, cultural, and physical knowledge ranging from meditation on childbearing as a collaboration between God and humanity in an early chapter to insight into different cultures' approaches to the postpartum period (spoiler - they are more often in tune with our need to recover from and savor our participation in a small, beautiful piece of creation than American society's push to move on and pretend that life can busily return to its pre-pregnancy state), to little interesting fact like how our fingerprints are formed in the womb.

The writing style is engaging and, although I am not pregnant at the moment, I could not put it down as I remembered my recent pregnancy. I am an Orthodox Christian like the author, so her references to Orthodox saints, prayer, and theology were particularly relevant, but I think any Christian would find the book to be a valuable resource for approaching pregnancy from a spiritual perspective. I'm going to recommend that my parish bookstore begins stocking this book - especially since we are in the midst of a baby boom at our church.

While my praise of this book is genuine and heart-felt, I would like to note that I received an advance copy of the book in return for this honest review.

I knew I would be interested in this book for many reasons. When my family was chrismated we attended an Antiochian church. I am a history nerd so it is always cool to read about the immigration and settling of the American west. My paternal great grandparents immigrated to America during the early 1900s. And this amazing man baptized 1,000 people over his life. World War I, the Spanish Flu, golly I would not go back in time for any reason, but it is cool to read about the era in which Orthodoxy came to America. History buffs, Orthodoxy nerds, I think you would like this book.

This autumn I was blessed to meet Father Nicola Yanney through a book written about his life.

This book is a treasure resplendent with stories about the pioneering days of the Eastern Orthodox Church on the Great Plains of America. I hope to inspire others to enjoy reading it too.

An advance review copy of this book was kindly made available to me by Ancient Faith Publishing, and I have been reading these precious pages, glued to history as it unfolds from a village in Syria to the Great Plains of Nebraska and the broader Midwest.

I’m an enthusiast of early American history, and having enjoyed reading journals of pioneering women on the westward journey, as well as being an Orthodox Popadija married to my own Father Nikola who serves at Saint Nikola Serbian Orthodox Church.

It goes without saying that we have great reverence for Saint Nikola and learning about those who bear his name is wonderfully interesting. I was grateful to be able to review this book to learn more about Father Nicola and hear more stories derived from entries captured in family Bibles and personal journals, newspaper articles, etc.

What truly captivated me was the honesty of joys and sorrows that Father Nicola, his family and community experienced. Their ability to persevere with great faith in the midst of so many heartbreaks and setbacks is an inspiration and something to pull from to strengthen our everyday lives.

Father Nicola alone is someone to respect, admire and love for all of his vast missionary journeys conducting Holy Orthodox Sacraments of Baptism, Marriage, Confession, Communion, Funerals both at his established home parish Saint George in Kearney, Nebraska as well as throughout the Midwest (Iowa, Wisconsin,Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado and many more states.) He lost his wife and daughter at young ages, and he mourned and prayed with love and faith, while caring for his surviving three sons. After each challenge Father Nicola glorified God by picking up his cross to continue serving others both near and far.

Reading about the circumstances in those days really drives home what it must have been like. Father Nicola would travel by train for greater than ten-hour journeys, be met by a needful congregation only to travel several more hours by horse and carriage often in open air exposed to heavy rain or freezing blizzards. Then arriving at the parish there would be talks late into the night and a service early the next morning. What perseverance!

I highly recommend reading this book, as it is genuinely engrossing and nurturing to ones own faith and journey through this life.

Thank you, Father Nicola, for meeting us through these written words, and please pray for all of us who learn about your life and faith.

Respectfully submitted,

Popadija Cheri Radovancevic
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This book is beautiful! Laura was present at all 3 of my very different births. Her calm encouraging presences translates right into the words of this book!

I am not from an Orthodox background, I attend a nondenominational church, but I love to look at writings from the lenses of different theological viewpoints. I felt like she breaks down definitions very well and was able to understand the heart and intent of the whole book.

I’m not currently pregnant but was able to reminisce and remember the feelings and prayers in my own heart from that season as I read. I also found it very relevant as a mother, in general! The beginning section for week 6 about Fiat was particularly encouraging! I was reminded of feelings when we received my 3rd child’s Down Syndrome diagnosis and how much I grieved the child I originally expected and had to accept and receive the gift that God had entrusted to me. It also was a great reminder to receive my children each day and walk with them in the season they are in!

I will recommend this to all my pregnant friends and all my theology nerd friends!!

Apostle to the Plains: The Life of Father Nicola Yanney, by The Saint Raphael Clergy Brotherhood

The below book review is by Popadija Cheri Radovancevic on October 8, 2019. Posted on Goodreads, my Facebook Fastal Foodies group and Instagram.

———————

This autumn I was blessed to meet Father Nicola Yanney through a book written about his life.

This book is a treasure resplendent with stories about the pioneering days of the Eastern Orthodox Church on the Great Plains of America. I hope to inspire others to enjoy reading it too.

An advance review copy of this book was kindly made available to me by Ancient Faith Publishing, and I have been reading these precious pages, glued to history as it unfolds from a village in Syria to the Great Plains of Nebraska and the broader Midwest.

I’m an enthusiast of early American history, having enjoyed reading journals of pioneering women on the westward journey. Being an Orthodox Popadija married to my own Father Nikola who serves at Saint Nikola Serbian Orthodox Church made the topic of this book even more intriguing to me.

It goes without saying that we have great reverence for Saint Nikola and learning about those who bear his name is wonderfully interesting. I was grateful to be able to review this book to learn more about Father Nicola and hear more stories derived from entries captured in family Bibles and personal journals, newspaper articles, etc.

What truly captivated me was the honesty of joys and sorrows that Father Nicola, his family and community experienced. Their ability to persevere with great faith in the midst of so many heartbreaks and setbacks is an inspiration and something to pull from to strengthen our everyday lives.

Father Nicola alone is someone to respect, admire and love for all of his vast missionary journeys conducting Holy Orthodox Sacraments of Baptism, Marriage, Confession, Communion, Funerals both at his established home parish Saint George in Kearney, Nebraska as well as throughout the Midwest (Iowa, Wisconsin,Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado and many more states.) He lost his wife and daughter at young ages, and he mourned and prayed with love and faith, while caring for his surviving three sons. After each challenge Father Nicola glorified God by picking up his cross to continue serving others both near and far.

Reading about the circumstances in those days really drives home what it must have been like. Father Nicola would travel by train for greater than ten-hour journeys, be met by a needful congregation only to travel several more hours by horse and carriage often in open air exposed to heavy rain or freezing blizzards. Then arriving at the parish there would be talks late into the night and a service early the next morning. What perseverance!

I highly recommend reading this book, as it is genuinely engrossing and nurturing to ones own faith and journey through this life.

Thank you, Father Nicola, for meeting us through these written words, and please pray for all of us who learn about your life and faith.

Respectfully submitted,

Popadija Cheri Radovancevic
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Laura Jansson’s voice throughout this book is wise and honest, like a wonderful mother-mentor, just slightly ahead of you on the path calling back of her shoulder to point out points of interest and caution along the way. She weaves together personal and profession experience of pregnancy and birth as a doula and an experienced mother with deep theological reflections pulled from ancient saints and contemporary theologians. She meditates on each week of pregnancy, at times highlighting recent discoveries scientists have made about in-utero babies or reflecting back on her own story.

She continually draws the readers attention to the intricate wonderful details of God’s creative work and the invitation that beauty and challenges of pregnancies offer as a means of growing closer to God. Of course this would be a wonderful gift to any first time mother, but I think that it might be even more meaningful to mothers embarking on later pregnancies, a chance to really let them slow down and savor the work of pregnancy.

It’s such a unique book in how it ministers to the soul of a pregnant mother—from the prayers at the beginning of the book that are printed with the suggestion that each reading session (or day during pregnancy) could begin with these lovely prayers for the mother and child—to the way that it draws on iconography, church fathers, and orthodox theology to reflect on pregnancy can be a way to more deeply understand the Christian mysteries of the trinity, self-denial, death, weakness, and strength.

One of my favorite reflections was on the development of baby fingerprints: “those emerging patterns were slightly influenced by genetic inheritance, but much more important had been the movement of the amniotic fluid surrounding her as the pads formed. The lines I could now see had appeared as she wriggled, sloshed, reached, turned, touched, and grew during her earliest days in my womb. The dance steps of our shared life had shaped my baby’s very body. With her hand in mine, I cast my mind back. This swirl, I wondered—was it created when I bent to sign my other children’s foreheads with the cross at bedtime, to weed my garden,or to kiss the icon of Christ each time I entered my church? Was the little U-turn on this finger etched in as my grandmother gave me a pat on the belly to celebrate my pregnancy, or with the steps of a sunset walk with a dear friend, or during the welcome-home hug I’d given my husband at the end of each day? This interesting spiral—did it arise from belly laughs or the quaking of tears?” (pages 28 & 29)

I loved this book so much, and while she is writing to an Orthodox audience, I think that Christians from all backgrounds would enjoy it, and perhaps kindle a desire to hear more from our Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters.

There are times in life when you get to be on the inside track of something exciting. This was one of those times for me. I first heard about Laura Jansson’s book, Fertile Ground: A Pilgrimage Through Pregnancy from a representative of Ancient Faith while I was at one of their conferences. As a frequent reviewer for AF, and as I was pregnant at the time, she felt this book would be right up my alley. Joyfully, it was!

It can be hard to find words from the Church Fathers on how to feel during a pregnancy. We women have a lot of emotions and they only get more varied with child bearing. This pregnancy has been wrought with an entire second set of emotions from a miscarriage immediately preceding it. One month you’re hoping. The next brings joyous news. Another month brings one of the worst pains a woman can endure. And then the next, joy again. It was a rollercoaster no one can prepare for. The Lord’s mercy and love shining through family, friends, clergy and others has carried me through this dark time and brought me out into the wonderful duty of carrying my first little girl. (I am blessed to also have three boys!)

As a woman of the Orthodox church, pregnant, and looking for something to guide me through this journey, I found Fertile Ground to be a calm place to be with a knowledgeable friend who not only shares my faith but a lot of my own perspectives on birth. I find myself looking forward to the weekly readings and going back and rereading them or even looking ahead. This book is a comfort to read.

In Fertile Ground, Jansson has shared her own mothering experiences, her times as a doula, and the lives of the saints of our church with love and compassion. This wisdom guides you emotionally and helps to put you in the moment of this miraculous journey with your child and to really take full advantage of this time that can seem slow but is over quicker than we realize.

Jannson does not tell you your 29-week old child is the size of an acorn squash and going to be moving more and more. Instead, she brings about the fact that village we once relied on to help us as mothers to raise our babies isn’t there anymore, at least not like we expect it to be. With the dawning of social media, our walks to the well where we would “exchange news and advice” are replaced by glances through “the rose-tinted lens” that leave us feeling alone and less-than. But maybe that isn’t the village we need to lean on. Jansson reminds us that there’s still a church village and that perhaps not through the traditional baby showers but through an arrangement of an akathist, cards with scriptures, and prayers, a mother might feel more supported than with baby booties. She reforms the support system from a cold effort of the wallet to a warm forming of relationships and bonds that actually support a woman’s heart and emotional needs. She also helps us to realize that there’s already a whole village constantly surrounding us. “When the human community falters we do not need to reinvent the village, because a true and perfect village already exists.” This realization that the women of the church who have come before us are surrounding us and are hearing our prayers can be such a true comfort in times of need or loneliness.

My hope is that I have well conveyed all of the love, truth and support you’ll find in this book. As you read through the pages, you’ll feel the heart of not only Laura Jansson but that of the women she writes about. You won’t feel alone, unsure and worried. Instead, empowered, loved and supported. If you find yourself or a friend pregnant, please think about acquiring this book. You’ll love the warmth it brings to your life!

Note: I was given a free, pre-release copy of this book for my honest review.