This is a book for any time when consolation is needed or when questions arise about suffering and about the meaning of life. "Barbed Wire and Thorns" explores Jesus and his struggle to fulfill his calling, especially in his last days. These are meditations that follow Jesus as he suffers and approaches the Cross. The book includes suggested readings from the Gospels and poetic reflections on what it might have been like for Jesus. During these reflections, questions arise about temptation and the struggle against evil, about illness and other forms of suffering, and about the bread of life and atonement. The author is a pastor and also suffers from the chronic illness fibromyalgia; thus, she has special insight into the theme of suffering as a Christian. This book is ideal as a Lenten devotional. It is not a simplistic book and yet should appeal to many thoughtful Christians who long for a closer identification with the suffering of Jesus in the midst of their own trouble.