The author is professor of religion at Oberlin College in Ohio. This should tell you that this book has quite a strong intellectual element to it. What do you tell a young college student about school and life? What advice do you give a daughter or son about vocation, about the importance of commitment, or gratitude? This book is a collection of twenty four imaginary letters sent by a mother to her daughter in college. They are full of wisdom gently applied and full of moral instruction. The style is somewhat reminiscent of C.S. Lewis. The young student reader will need to apply themselves to a quiet consideration of the subject matter of each letter. The topics handled range from miracles, prayer, faith and death and many facets of virtuous living are also examined with plenty of illustration. There are letters on contentment, fidelity, love, trust, authenticity, humility and hope. This book is a helpful aid to teach the young adults of today moral values and the whole is laced with the homey elements which would be expected in letters of this kind between mother and daughter. There would be benefit for parents also to take time to contemplate the subject matter and the way it is presented in this book. The book contains plenty of allusions to other authors and these could lead to further reading. The book is less than one hundred pages long, each letter little more than six or seven hundred words, it would be easy to utilize it as a basis for group discussions on the various topics considered.
