Peg Conway's Embodying the Sacred connects the physiological processes of pregnancy and birth to Catholic-inspired practices in an intelligent, empowering way. Prayers and rituals are organized around the three trimesters of pregnancy, inviting women to assemble a "spiritual birth bag" to go along with the physical birth bag found in other forms of birth preparation. Writing and drawing prompts are included to encourage reflection during this miraculous time. Creative and introspective act...

If your mom is dead, is she still your mom? At twenty-five—nearly two decades after losing her mother to breast cancer as a little girl—an accident on a downtown street unleashes startling emotional reactions in Peg Conway, and this question starts to percolate. She comes to understand what she’s experiencing as long-buried childhood grief, and as she marries and becomes a mother herself, Peg’s intense feelings challenge her to offer herself compassion. Gradually she confronts how growing ...