In the introduction to this anthology of writings of Catholic priest Henri J. M. Nouwen, editor Robert Durback states that the thread which holds it together is hop, which he defines as "the inner dynamic that compels us to explore and pursue the expectations built into the human condition." This collection is divided into four sections:

• Seeds of Hope: Human Hungers
• Springs of Hope: Holiness and Humanness
• The Roots of Hope: Human Destiny
• Hope in a Nuclear Age

Here are two quotations from this treasure-laden paperback:

• "When we are not afraid to enter into our own center and to concentrate on the stirrings of our own soul, we come to know that being alive means being loved. This experience tells us that we can love only because we are born out of love, that we can give only because our life is a gift, and that we can make others free only because we are set free by God whose heart is greater than ours." — from The Wounded Healer

• "The real mystery of marriage is not that husband and wife love each other so much that they can find God in each other's lives, but that God loves them so much that they can discover each other more and more as living reminders of God's presence. They are brought together, indeed, as two prayerful hands extended toward God and forming in this way a home for God in this world." — from Clowning in Rome