Through the experiences of the 13 Original Clan Mothers, the reader is guided through life's lessons. Writing of the purpose of being a woman, Sams gingerly walks the feminist precipice between woman as a reproductive machine and woman as a meaningful contributor to society. She magically does not lose her balance, successfully making the case for women fulfilling a personal and cosmic biological role as creators, with men assigned the role of helpmate and protector. It becomes painfully clear that the tasks that men and women have traditionally performed have not been so much at fault as the value placed on them by society and the individuals contained within it. Sams is a competent writer with a gift for description. Unlike many current spiritual bestsellers, the reader does not have to overcome the distraction of faulty writing in order to receive her powerful message. (February 1995) ( )