Pregnancy is a journey--one that is beautiful and scary with so much growth and room for fear of the unknown. Fertile Ground is a comforting guide on this journey, one grounded in the deep tradition and wisdom of Orthodox Christianity. Laura writes so beautifully of her own experience-both as a doula and a mother-while interweaving spiritual truths with the universal experience of preparing for motherhood. This is an excellent book for all Christian mothers-to-be.

I was really surprised by how easy this reads. Sometimes Orthodoxy can be complicated but Laura lays out pregnancy and birth in a way that connects you to the anchoring and ancient faith that as all love, easily and with Pertinent information that makes an expectant mother like myself feel at ease. I am currently pregnant with my eighth baby and it’s hard to present information I haven’t already heard, but the level of connection to Orthodoxy really blew me away! I will for sure be buying this as a baby gift for all of my pregnant friends and family in the future. The confidence it brings to a newly expectant mother and the faith it stands in is irreplaceable and a blessing. Thank you Laura for writing this book!

I read this book as I am weaning my second child and considering jumping back into the journey that is pregnancy. My pregnancies have not been easy. I find myself having some anxiety as I prepare to yet again enter the struggle. But I can tell you that I will absolutely be re-reading this book when (God willing) we are able to conceive again. The book is broken into sections: Welcoming a new reality (weeks 6-9), Experiencing Pregnancy (weeks 10- 17), Experiencing birth in symbols (weeks 18-20), Fearing Labor (weeks 21-23), Braving labor (weeks 24-27), Becoming a parent (weeks 28-33), Preparing for birth (weeks 34 -37) with different topics given each week under the section. Week 25 "Prayer" with the author's description of one of her children's birth while praying brought me to tears. This is not a "how to" book. This will not talk you through various labor techniques or explain how to latch your baby onto the breast. This is a guide for deeper connection with the spiritual during pregnancy. I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book has been an encouragement to me and a reminder that our bodies are marvelous and capable of so much. Laura intertwines her Orthodox faith with the experience of pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood. This is a must have book, not just for those of an Orthodox faith, just Christians alike.

Absolutely wonderful! As a doula, I have read many pregnancy books, searching for this one.
Laura addresses the practical, emotional and spiritual parts of pregnancy. I am not currently pregnant but have 3 children. While reading this book, I felt as though Laura was walking with me on the journey through pregnancy. While we walked, Laura listened to all of my concerns, gently and lovingly sharing her knowledge from personal experience as well as what research has concluded. Each week left me feeling encouraged, supported and at peace - helping me to look at what God was doing, to draw closer to Him. There are questions for each week too, which are great way for my husband and I to connect and bring him in on the journey too. No matter if this is your first pregnancy or seventh, if you are hoping to grow through your pregnancy, to draw closer to the Giver of Life, this book is a great place to begin. I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautifully written book that I will be recommending to all pregnant women and mothers. Laura seamlessly weaves in spiritual thoughts with biological facts and interesting stories. It’s touches on what a pregnant woman’s heart and mind are most focused on, growing their baby, and brings it all back to the miracle of pregnancy and the God who created us all.

This is a great book. I wish I had it when I was pregnant with my babies. I like that it is meant to be read week by week. I like that the author is a childbirth educator as well as a mother and Orthodox Christian. I would recommend it to any expecting Orthodox Christian mom. I have read a lot of pregnancy/babycare/breastfeeding books. I have read a lot of Orthodox Christian prayer/lives of the saints/ history books. This book is a great blend of both genres. It is easy to get into but has a serious tone. I am not a fan of other books with more conversational tones! I received an advance readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

When I first heard last November that there was going to be an Orthodox book about pregnancy and childbirth, I was instantly intrigued and anxiously awaiting its arrival. I am the mother of 6 daughters and have been studying birth work. Not only have I birthed my own children, but I look forward to my own Doula work in the future. I enjoy learning more about birth and pregnancy, and this book was a wonderful addition to my birthing library.
Right away, one of the things I appreciated was how all birthing/parenting methods were acknowledged and explained. This book does not offer a one way option for birthing, instead it presents a mother’s options and beautifully explains the symbolism through the Christian faith. Each step of the pregnancy/birth is highlighted in easy to read, week-by-week chapters, each focusing on a different aspect of the women’s current experiences. I genuinely enjoyed how Laura painted such a spiritual perspective of pregnancy and childbirth. It is truly amazing the growth and transformation a woman experiences spiritually in the birthing years. Laura perfectly describes the ascetic struggle that women must embrace during this incredible season of life. Even though I am not currently expecting, I was able to feel encouragement for my current stage of motherhood and strength to embrace another day.
It is very clear that not only does the author have a full knowledge of the birthing process through hands on experience, but she also has a wonderful knowledge of birthing according to Biblical examples, with wisdom from the Church Fathers, backed by scientific evidence. I enjoyed reading her experiences, both personal and through her work as a doula. Her use of scripture and quotes from the Fathers were encouraging and informative. She also gives extremely practical knowledge of how to endure pregnancy and effective tools to have the childbirth experience that you desire. This book is an important tool for any woman’s pregnant journey. I look forward to giving this book as a gift to the pregnant mothers at my church, as well as my own daughters some day.
*I received an advanced copy of this book in return for my honest review.

Motherhood opened my eyes to many new worlds, perhaps the most significant was that of a theology of motherhood. The vibrant experiences of growing, birthing, and nurturing a child are rich with symbolism, poetry, and meaning. I was captivated with how my new role of “Mama” informed my life in the Church, and sought to dive deeper, but came up wanting. As a new mother, I had been hoping to find a book like this - one that encapsulates the deep truths of this journey - and here it is! Fertile Ground weaves together Scripture, wisdom of the Church, hymnography, various historical texts, and personal reflection into a fascinating tapestry. I am delighted Laura Jansson has taken the time to write this book, and so beautifully! It will be such a wonderful help to Mamas, old and new!

I received an advance copy of the book in return for this honest review.

Fertile Ground is a book written by an Orthodox Christian doula on pregnancy and motherhood. The layout is in such a way you can simply go week by week of your own pregnancy and there are discussion or journal questions in the back to go along with the chapter.
At the time of reading the book I was 37 weeks pregnant and I had wished I had it when I first discovered that we were expecting. The book does a great job at explaining feelings you have during pregnancy, things your experience and how we are Co creators with Christ. She uses many parallels with our pregnancy’s and Christ. She goes through many topics and uses many church fathers and scriptures to explain her point. It was very uplifting and encouraging. I recommend this book to all pregnant mommas as a staple on their bookshelves. So well done. As a side note, I was given the book in exchange for an honest review.

I am overjoyed that “Fertile Ground: A Pilgrimage Through Pregnancy” has arrived just in time for my own first pregnancy. The Orthodox Christian world needs this book.

“Fertile Ground: A Pilgrimage Through Pregnancy” fills a conspicuous gap in the Orthodox Christian literary scene, offering an expertly interwoven blend of theology, personal experience, spiritual reflection and advice and practical information to spiritually guide women through their pregnancies. Laura Jansson weaves together the complex components of our lives into a spiritual journey, a pilgrimage which women can choose to make the cornerstone of their pregnancy. Far from abstract theology, this is a guide rooted in real world experience and modern world dilemmas, from choices facing women concerning pain relief, the need for support networks and the pressure of the modern world’s gender ideals. Such a comprehensive guide to a woman’s “pilgrimage” through pregnancy makes for a deeply comforting read.

Laura Jansson’s exploration of the realities of pregnancy extend to a powerful, highly sensitive and beautiful chapter on miscarriage. For mothers experiencing or fearing miscarriage seeking comfort and reassurance about what their lives will be or would be like after such an event, they will find it in this chapter. “Fertile Ground” is a book which leaves no aspect of the pilgrimage unexplored, prayers and discussion points bookending the week-by-week chapters.

This is not a book you will find yourself reading once, but rather one to return to through every pregnancy. The thematic chapters taking the reader through each week of pregnancy make it perfect for contemplation alone or reading together with one’s husband. Each chapter stands alone but as the reader is taken through pregnancy week-by-week, it becomes clear that there is a broader theological picture being constructed, building on the cited scriptures, spiritual insights and practical realities highlighted in previous chapters. At week 30 the reader feels more prepared than when reading the chapter relating to week 6, just as any pilgrimage is to contain spiritual progression throughout the journey. Just as a pilgrimage progresses towards a site of spiritual importance but also towards a mental state of spiritual importance, the arrival at one’s destination, the birth of a baby, is not the end of the journey. Laura Jansson shows pregnancy to be a training ground for parenthood. How effective and transformative this training period can potentially be, depends on the woman herself. Laura is clear that pregnancy can affect in us a deep inward change, preparing us to serve God through the service we give to others, if we let it. Pregnancy, in all its joy and pain, is shown to be a gift, which like so much God gives to us, asks us to embrace it with faith in order to allow it to be truly transformative.

“Fertile Ground: A Pilgrimage Through Pregnancy” integrates real world realities and fears with the beauty of the Orthodox faith, within the framework of the natural rhythm of pregnancy which organises its chapters. Reading it, one feels the friendship and support of both a doula and a fellow Orthodox mother seep from the pages. This will be a book which I am sure will be seized upon by many women, to guide them through their own pregnancies and prepare them for the vocation of motherhood for which God has chosen for them.

I haven’t met Laura Jannson, but in reading her book, “Fertile Ground: A Pilgrimage Through Pregnancy,” I feel like I was having tea with my kindred spirit. Although my “Baby” is now 17, I still can personally relate to so many stories and images she shared from her experiences as a mother, doula, et al. as I work an RN/IBCLC (Lactation Consultant) with both antepartum and postpartum moms and their newborns, so it remains pertinent even if my children are grown. Several times I took the messages from a chapter I read, and was able to incorporate the spirit into my night’s work. I felt this was an added bonus.

Fertile Ground begins with the lovely prayer for a woman with child, and then is set up in seven parts that can be read reflectively, week by week, throughout one’s pregnancy. It is, however, way more than a “What to expect when one’s expecting” for Orthodox Christians. It takes us through the journeys we encounter via the physical side of pregnancy, but also fleshes out the parallels within the spiritual life and the theology of The Church. In the introduction Jannson tells us how she began to see her, “…pregnant body as theology in motion, and the journey of pregnancy as an embodiment of the soul’s journey toward God.” (P. 12-13). From this inspiration, she set forth to provide a spiritual guidebook aligned to the possible experiences women may be undergoing according to the particular gestational week. She includes personal birth stories as well as stories from her life as a doula really making the reading feel part of included, and part of a community…which as most women find, pregnancy, and even miscarriage are passageways that join you to other women like few other journeys. It is like you are let into a secret sisterhood, and regardless of the differences between one’s travail, there is this knowing one gains that creates a bond with every other woman who has been pregnant before. As women, and Laura brings this up throughout the book, we have an insiders view- to some degree- of what the Theotokos went through carrying Christ, breastfeeding Christ…at least the human element. Anecdotes, both from this era, and through the life of the saints before us, and the life of Christ pepper this book and make it relational. This is where the kinship I alluded to at the beginning really struck home. I could relate to the stories and the journeys, both physical and spiritual that were being presented to the reader.

One of my favorite stories was about an Orthodox mother with a terrific supply of breast milk whose family had commissioned an icon of The Milkgiver when she was pregnant with her first child. She would pump sitting under this icon, and over time ended up giving away around 105 gallons of breast milk to mothers and babies in need. She felt this was a way she was sharing her faith, and even the holy mysteries on the days that she had received communion, and would subsequently pump (p.249). I hadn’t thought of it that way before, but my own children really got to double dip the Holy Mysteries once baptized, and received both from the chalice and my milk. What a lovely thought of nourishing not only physically, but also spiritually from the same source. Each chapter has some similar type gem.

Finally, at the end of the book, there are a series of chapter related questions to help the reader in her reflection, and an epilogue that deals with the loss of a child/pregnancy. Personally, I am not great with questions. I discovered these questions after I had read the book, and probably wouldn’t tap into them even if I had known they were there. There are women who would probably really enjoy these, so they definitely have value. The final epilogue was really the author sharing her own personal loss of a child in early pregnancy in order to help women who may think they are alone in this struggle. As I said before, just like pregnancy is a rite of passage, so is having a miscarriage. Jannson reminds women to be gentle with oneself after such a loss; take the time to grieve, to heal, to nourish both body and soul before striving after another pregnancy (p. 310).

Overall, I really enjoyed this intertwined spiritual/pregnancy journey. I had several epiphanies, and as I mentioned before, felt like I was having a good discussion and “cuppa” with a good friend. This is a book I would like to share with my daughters someday. I am thankful to have been given this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The name Peter Gilquist is incredibly well known in the Orthodox churches of America today. Father Gilquist, along with several other pastors, led a mass conversion of Evangelical churches into the Antiochian Orthodox Church in 1987, after nearly 15 years of searching for the historical Christian church as described in the book of Acts, and in the epistles of the New Testament. That quest is told in his more famous work, Becoming Orthodox, and in related works by others from that movement, but towards the end of his life, Reverend Gilquist wrote a different sort of work - personal memoirs of many of the key seminal moments in his life, ministries, and faith. Those memoirs were compiled and published several years after his death in the book Memories of His Mercy: Recollections of the Grace and Providence of God.

In Memories of His Mercy, Fr. Gilquist tells stories of his upbringing within a devout Christian home, the men and women who mentored him in his family and beyond, and the courtship of the woman he would later marry. He later moves through some of his fondest memories, particularly of people whose lives touched his. His aim is not to write an overarching narrative, but a much humbler one of attempting to convey how faith, charity and empathy for others, and a strong work ethic tempered by consistent honesty can allow one, with the grace of God, to both be a blessing to others, and be blessed in turn.

The various tales are also quite simply experiences that he genuinely enjoyed and wanted to share (such as when he helped ghost-write Johnny Cash’s autobiography in the 1970s), or of which he was particularly and personally proud (such as his involvement in the creation of the Orthodox Study Bible). His greatest personal joys were, of course, in his wife and family, and so their lives feature prominently in the stories too. Through it all he talks about how he saw every interaction with other people as an opportunity to evangelize and make friends, surely a worthy, if difficult challenge today in our very polarized world. One especially moving example was his befriending an old man who had basically lived his entire life in shame and anger apart from all others - Father Peter took the time to show him love and friendship, and in the end brought the man to Christ. That difficult old hermit passed his final days knowing that he was valued. This is hardly the only such tale in Father Gilquist’s life story.

Memories of His Mercy is a quick read at just about 200 pages, but it captures well the confident and happy personality of a man who was a natural preacher and an unashamed Christian. These memoirs, however, are not written with an eye towards preaching or conversion, but merely as means for one remarkable man to tell a little of who he was apart from what he was most famous for doing, and how God was ever faithful to him through all the trials.

Fr. Gilquist died in 2012 after a brief but fierce relapse of a cancer he had first been diagnosed with several years prior. The final months of his life were therefore described by his wife, and are a touching recollection of how he faced death in confidence, and surrounded by his loving family. At the very end are several letters and tributes from his friends from his journeys, all bringing home what a remarkable figure he cut in his day. As a memoir of a dedicated Christian, writer, pastor, and family man, Memories of His Mercy is a touching book, and a fitting companion to Becoming Orthodox.

Nota Bene: Ancient Faith Publishing provided me with a review copy of this book.

St. Ignatius, first century Bishop of Antioch, called the “God Bearer”, is one of the earliest witnesses to the truth of the Christian faith. Fr. Andrew Damick brings him to life in this book. Our church reading group has really enjoyed getting to know this great saint and learning about his teachings which are relevant even today. Great reading for anyone wanting to know more about the Orthodox faith.
JoAnn Webster, Eagle River, Alaska

Beautiful and wonderfully written. Easy to follow through and understand.

A wonderful summary of our ORTHODOX worship. Will order more as well as the companion "OUR FAITH". I GAVE MINE TO MY PRIEST FOR NEW CONVERTS. THANKD !

For a mom who did not grow up in the Orthodox Church, who has two elementary-aged kids as well as an infant, Blueprints for the Little Church is a true blessing. The book provides a thoughtful, modern guide for parents from all Orthodox backgrounds to help them raise their children as faithful servants of the Church and of God. Co-authors Elissa Bjeletich and Caleb Shoemaker, both converts themselves, have touched on a very specific need for modern Orthodox families: an easy-to-use compilation of the wisdom of the Fathers and of Orthodox tradition when it comes to the spiritual life of Orthodox families.

For those who are new to the faith, Blueprints provides a rich introduction to the practices and traditions of Orthodoxy, including those conducted in the home as a family and individually, and those practiced within the church body. However, the book can also be helpful to those who have been Orthodox for years. I was chrismated in the Orthodox Church in my early 20’s, and I certainly learned a great deal as a catechumen and as a new convert, but I don’t recall that I ever read anything so comprehensive as this book when it comes to the day-to-day practices of Orthodoxy in family life. At different times in my journey I’ve had to ask questions about baptisms, house blessings, certain fasting practices, as well as those fun “small t” traditions that happen in every church and Orthodox home. Blueprints offers full explanations of all of these facets of the spiritual journey (and more!) in a way that is encouraging, helpful, and understanding of the need to ease into a fuller Orthodox practice over time. As with any wise counsel, Elissa and Caleb admonish readers to consult their priests on these matters, and to remember that no family is perfect, nor will any family be able to do “everything”. At the same time, their guidance will provide a family with the ability to make their home a place of greater spiritual fruit.

As my husband and I prepare to guide our two older children through the older elementary and teenage years, and begin again at square one with our newest addition, I am certain that Blueprints for the Little Church will be an invaluable resource in bringing them up to be faithful, joyous Orthodox Christians.

I buy it for everyone!

10 year old & 13 year old both loved this! Bought extra copies for friends. This is a great way for young people to learn about saints. Can’t wait for the next book in the series!

The most refreshing aspect of this book is the preface: *Ask* *your* *priest!* I appreciate how the authors address this head-on: there is no substitute for pastoral guidance and lived Orthodox Christian community. It is impossible to learn everything you need to know from a book, and Orthodoxy is not a one-size-fits all approach. The authors are also very clear that the pillars of our faith are church attendance and participation in the sacraments, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and no amount of creative ideas or instructive activities or studying will make up for a lack of those!

I went into this book realizing that I am not the target audience: I was raised Orthodox in a household where the connection between faith and day-to-day living was natural. The book is clearly geared toward a convert (or maybe "revert") audience. I was curious to see how the authors would go about equipping readers from different backgrounds to bring an Orthodox ethos to their family life.

On the whole, I think this book is a good resource and an admirable effort to be instructive while being flexible. As Orthodox Christians, we are obedient to the Tradition of the Church and we conform to it, yet there is room for variation from family to family. I really liked how the authors included many examples from different families scattered throughout the book so that it truly drives home the point that there are countless different ways to live out the Faith. There were a few parts where I would have appreciated some more depth or citations and resources for further reading. There were even a couple areas where what was expressed in the book did not line up exactly with the teachings of the Church as I have learned them, so I would have appreciated more information as to where the authors had gained their understanding. I did really like how many sources the authors pulled from and quoted directly -- there are some true gems scattered through the pages!

While the crafts and ideas in the Liturgical Year Appendix are creative and sound like small kids would enjoy them, I was also a little bit let down by them after the intensity of the book. I guess I anticipated that this appendix would focus more on the hymns and icons from the feasts, as these are the original Christian education. I was surprised, for example, that the section about the Exaltation of the Cross did not include that the day is a very strict fast day and that, if you attend church services for this feast, you will see the decorated Cross in church and the priest (or bishop) lifting it high while we all kneel, just as the Patriarch of Jerusalem lifted it for all to see. I have found that there are times that my convert friends do not know what exactly to expect in the services for the various feasts and so would find this information helpful, and feel like it was a little bit of a missed opportunity. Fair warning that this sort of "Liturgical education" is not a part of the book -- but perhaps that is another book waiting to be written!

All in all, I recommend Blueprints for the Little Church as a helpful source of encouragement for day-to-day living and a nice way to learn about some of the "small t" traditions from various historically Orthodox cultures. I imagine it could form a great base for a discussion group, whether formal, or simply informal among friends.