Excuse me if I gush! It is the only thing I can do that is a proper reaction to this book.
To Bless the Space Between Us by John O'Donohue may be the absolute most beautiful book I have ever read. Its prose is gorgeous, its poetry even more so, and every page, every entry in the book will stir emotions, will remind us fully of the rich depth of the human spirit.
O'Donohue says that the book is not a collection of poems but blessings, and entries in the book reflect that idea. The author offers 'blessings' about desires, callings, and states of the heart, among others, and each of these is divided into separate, smaller categories of blessings. "States of the Heart," for example, includes blessings for courage, for failure, for suffering, for advice, and several more.
What is most remarkable about the book is its tremendously evocative and lyrically stunning language. The very opening lines of the book tell you much about what it will include and how well it is written: "There is a quiet light that shines in every heart. It draws no attention to itself, though it is always secretly there. It is what illuminates our minds to see beauty, our desires to seek possibility, and our hearts to love life."
With opening lines like that, how can a kind or loving person not want to read the book? And look at the stunning depthof that phrase, "It is what illuminates our minds to see beauty..." Beauty is an illumination of the mind! Incredible imagery.
Though beautiful, just about any other passage in the book is its equal or may even be superior.
It writing this review, I randomly opened the book to,
"When you travel
A new silence
Goes with you,
And if you listen,
You will hear
What your heart would love to say."
Believe me when I say, I just randomly opened to that stanza, which is important because it proves how beautiful this book is at every single turn.
Originally, I checked the book out of the library, but once I'd read it, I had to have my own copy which now is just filled with highlighter markings and post-it flags.
"Blessings" is just about the biggest literary blessing I have ever encountered. ( )

Absolutely gorgeous poetic words of blessing for everyday events in life: birth, illness, breaking up, entering adulthood, meeting a stranger, so many others.

John o'Donohue's voice is sacred and whimsical and wise and dearly missed,

I would rate this book 7 stars on a scale from 1 to 5. It is that beautiful.

For a fantastic interview of O'Donohue, see Krista Tippett's podcast On Being, at http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2010/inner-landscape/, completed just prior yonhis untimely death. It helps so much to hear his words within his brogue. ( )

A series of poetic prayers for almost any emotional situation in life. I return to it again and again. It is of enormous help in getting through and carrying on. ( )

Beautiful book. Worth taking your time reading slowly and reflecting upon it. ( )

O'Donohue's Celtic and poetic style burst forth from this collection of beautiful prayers and blessings. And the most powerful aspect of this book is the empowerment it gives to all people to bless. ( )