Lost Souls: Finding Hope in the Heart of Darkness

These days it is no longer just adolescents who feel that the universe is falling apart. InLost Souls, Niles Goldstein writes of the chaos and fear so many of us experience in our public and private lives and makes it clear that we are not-nor have we ever been-alone in our angst. To illustrate the different stages we often encounter when we feel lost-whether the trigger for our disorientation and despair is the loss of a loved one or a job, or the result of an injury or depression-Goldstein interweaves contemporary stories of men and women he has met through his work as a rabbi and a law enforcement chaplain with those of biblical figures such as Cain, David and Bathsheba, Samson, Tamar, and several of the prophets. As in his last book,God at the Edge, Goldstein explores the "shadow" side of the human condition. His accounts are often disturbing, but his insights are always inspiring. What he brings us is a message of particular relevance today, namely, that a journey through the wilderness-be it emotional, existential, or geographical-is a transformative and strengthening process, even though it may not seem so at the time. In chronicling the stories of survivors who have traveled through perilous and at times unexplored territory, Goldstein not only shows us how to face the challenges of being human, he also delivers a promise of meaning, direction, and hope in our lives.