In Sweet Company: Conversations with Extraordinary Women about Living a Spiritual Life

by Margaret Wolff

In Sweet Company takes readers on a spiritual odyssey into the hearts and minds of some of the most influential women of our time ―Olympia Dukakis, Sister Helen Prejean, Riane Eisler, Zainab Salbi, Margaret Wheatley, Katherine Dunham, Reverend Lauren Artress, Grandmother Twylah Hurd Nitsch, Sri Daya Mata, Rabbi Laura Geller, Le Ly Hayslip, Miriam Polster, Alma Flor Ada, and Gail Williamson. For all these women, their spiritual life nourishes them and serves as a dependable compass for decision making. Written with warmth and wisdom, In Sweet Company tells their stories, their personal journeys, and relates their thoughts on living a spiritual life.

Genres: Spirituality

272 pages, Paperback

First published February 17, 2006

About the author

Margaret Wolff is the author of 21 books and 150 blogs, stories, interviews, and essays. Her work has appeared in Beliefnet, The Collective Wisdom Initiative, Feminist.com, Yoga International, and Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Though she earned degrees in Art Therapy, Psychosynthesis, and Leadership Studies, Wolff’s education began in the midnight hours of her childhood with an unseen but palpable presence she called “The Magic” that filled her with uncharacteristic bravado—and sometimes joy. She began to write poems and stories at an early age that ultimately helped her understand her place in the world. Storytelling—the arts—became a soulful, transformative journey, an exploration of her inner life.

Being an Art Therapist and a writer ultimately became a winning combination for Wolff. She’s done deep dives into spiritual and artistic processes that help others negotiate chaos in their lives and went on to present 250 keynotes and retreats for groups such as The Parliament of World Religions, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, and American Montessori Society, and serve as a delegate to The Global Peace Initiative of Women, a United Nations conference in Geneva.

The most alchemical work of Wolff’s life came, however, in the mid ‘70s when she discovered that the ease and grace of her childhood covenant with “The Magic” could again be hers by practicing Paramahansa Yogananda’s teachings. She did. And it has. Forty years later Coming Home: Finding Shelter in the Love and Wisdom of Paramahansa Yogananda took flight.

Reviews

[Rachel Kopel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a booksale find and took me a while to get started. But then i really enjoyed reading one or two interviews per evening. Margaret Wolff, who had an amazing story of her own, writing the book while recovering from a brain injury, did a wonderful job of selecting and writing about several women of greatly differing faith traditions, even no tradition at all. But explored with each her concept of *God* and her spiritual life, which is, of course, in the best of cases, all of our life. Integrated spiritual, working, shopping, reading, chasing kids, whatever, it is our LIFE. And there are lots of different ways to do this. Yay.

[Francine Apollo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains 14 essays on women of many ages, creeds and races. Each entry is inspiring and full of additional information to learn more about these women, the work are are/were dedicated to doing.

This would be a great starting place for learning more about women and their spiritual lives.

Highly recommended.

[Kathleen Mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and have gifted it more times than I can count. The interviews are enlightening, and the writing is such that I felt as if I was a fly on the wall, eavesdropping on a conversation between friends.

[Thea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book. Really worth the read. I loved reading one story at a time and then reflecting.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very repetitive. I would recommend much better books on women's spiritual journeys and stories.