Though Easter (like Christmas) is often trivialized by the culture at large, it is still the high point of the religious calendar for millions of people around the world. And for most of them, there can be no Easter without Lent, the season that leads up to it. A time for self-denial, soul-searching, and spiritual preparation, Lent is traditionally observed by daily reading and reflection.

Hence this new collection, which promises to satisfy the growing hunger for meaningful and accessible devotions. Taken from the wealth of 20 centuries, the selections in "Bread and Wine" are ecumenical in scope, and represent the best classic and contemporary Christian writers.

The book includes approximately 50 readings on Easter and related themes by Thomas a Kempis, Frederic Buechner, Oswald Chambers, G.K. Chesterton, Alfred Kazin, Jane Kenyon, Soren Kierkegaard, Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, Oscar Romero, Blaise Pascal, Christina Rossetti, Dorothy Sayers, Edith Stein, John Updike, Walter Wangerin, William Willimon, Philip Yancey, and others.