Step by Step to Grace: A Spiritual Walk Through the Bible and the Twelve Steps

A.J. Pell is rector of Christ Church in Hope, B.C., editor of the
Canadian Evangelical Review, and an instructor of Liturgy, Anglican
Studies Programme at Regent College in Vancouver, B.C.

This compact book is intended for “women who are struggling with
various forms of addiction and dysfunctional behaviour.” Using the
structure of the 12 steps used in Alcoholics Anonymous and similar
programs, and bringing biblical and psychological resources to that
process, Milton seeks both to help and to inspire women in the process
of recovery from addictions, both chemical and behavioural.

Part 1, “Recovery,” which constitutes the first two-thirds of the
book, presents practical and spiritual reflection and advice on the 12
steps. Here the reader can feel slightly cheated by the brief treatment
each step is given (an average of five pages). Originally the steps were
designed for men by men, so further amplification from feminine
perspective and experience would be welcome, because it is frequently
needed. Yet Milton moves so quickly and often so superficially that the
reader is left with few resources. Part 2, “Words of Consolation,”
the remaining third of the book, is a collection of biblical quotations
applicable to someone at each stage of the 12 steps. However, because it
is located separately from the reflection and advice in Part 1, this
section can be overlooked by readers. This space could have been better
used expanding the material in “Recovery.”