The record of a life cannot be told in lists of names and dates. Stories are the way we tell our lives, say authors Amy Lignitz Harken and Lee Hull Moses. Through the story told by Marilynne Robinson in her novel Gilead (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004), Harken and Moses take readers on a journey to discover the gifts of their own life stories. They travel alongside the life of Robinson's character John Ames III to introduce readers to some of the great theologians and to reflect on the life humble ministers. They explore biblical concepts of stories, prayer, legacies, and blessings. In Gifts of Gilead, readers share John Ames III quest for answers, join him in prayer, and maybe even gain a little insight into humanity's relationship with God.