• Linda Wright, President, Wright Communications

        The Power Of A Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian (Harvest House; $9.99).

        “I'm reading it for the second time . . . It is kind of an inspirational how-to manual on how to pray for your children, grandchildren or any other child you care about.

        “The author relates her experiences of raising three children to adulthood and how she used the prayers in the book to ask God to intervene in all areas of her children's lives.

        “I really love a statement she makes that really helps to take the pressure off parents. She says, "Being a perfect parent doesn't matter. Being a praying parent does.' ”

        • Jeri Tolliver, Talk show host, WDBZ (1230AM):

        Cane River by Lalita Tademy (Warner Books; $24.95).

        “It's the SisterSpeak book for the month of May (the monthly book club sponsored by the station). We picked it for this month as a result of interviewing her on the show when she was in town for her book signing.

        “At first, I was hesitant because I thought "Oh, a book about slavery. It's going to be difficult to read. I don't want this to be a downer.' But it's such a beautifully written book, tracing her history through four generations with only one born into freedom.

        “After reading about what they had to do to survive, I knew we should all be able to survive any obstacle. These women were intelligent, passionate and successful entrepreneurs, and it's really inspiring to read a true story.”

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