Love Unknown: Women's Prayers and Poems Down the Ages

by Monica Furlong

A celebration of the legacy of women's search for meaning and their attempts to put desire and longing into words. An inspirational book. Queen Hatshepshut of Egypt, Rabi'a the Sufi, Mirabai, the Hindu holy woman, Buddhists, Native Americans, Aboriginal Australians, medieval visionaries, Jewish and Christian women, all contribute to this beautiful collection of spiritual writing that spans the centuries and the world's religions. Monica Furlong has also selected inspirational poems by Emily Bronte, Denise Levertov, Mary Oliver, Kathleen Raine and others. This treasury will move and inspire and is ideally suited to individual enjoyment or group use.

241 pages, Hardcover

Published October 18, 2001

About the author

Monica Furlong was a British author, journalist, and activist, regarded as one of the Church of England's most influential and creative laypersons of the post-war period.
Her work often focused on religion and spirituality, with notable biographies of figures such as John Bunyan, Thomas Merton, Thérèse of Lisieux, and Alan Watts. She also explored subjects like the spiritual life of aboriginals, medieval women mystics, and the Church of England. Furlong was also known for her children’s novels, including the Wise Child series, which consists of Wise Child, Juniper, and Colman.
Furlong began her writing career in 1956 as a feature writer for Truth magazine and later worked as a religious correspondent for The Spectator and Daily Mail. She became an advocate for religious reform, particularly supporting women’s rights within the Church of England. In her first book, With Love to the Church (1965), she championed an inclusive Church. She continued to support the ordination of women in the 1980s and pushed for the appointment of women to senior Church positions.
Her autobiography, Bird of Paradise (1995), provides insights into her life and career. Furlong’s controversial experiences with LSD were shared in Travelling In (1971), which was banned from Church of Scotland bookshops. Throughout her career, Furlong wrote extensively on spirituality, reform, and religious figures, becoming a well-respected voice in both religious and literary circles.