Hope M. Frye

Precious Precarity

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“In her best and most thought-provoking book yet, Rev. Dr. Boursier takes a unique look at migrants seeking refuge in the US, this time through the lens of the special kind of spirituality that develops when the line between life and death is thin and the reality of the fragility of existence is pervasive. Trapped between the homes they fled and a new life where they don't and likely may never belong--the reality of placelessness--migrants cope by relying on a deep and ever-present faith in God. Precious Precarity beautifully expresses what I have witnessed, particularly the strength and resilience arising from the spirituality that is in the very nature of these strong and determined people--the constant sense of the presence of God that guides and protects. I have seen this profound spirituality in children detained for months with no idea when they might be reunited with their loved ones. Some fill notebooks with prayers, smiling and trusting in God. Precious Precarity captures the sustaining hope that is necessary for survival when the world is precarious and the future uncertain. Precious Precarity is the antidote to the divisive narrative raging around immigration. This thoughtful and comprehensive work will change attitudes about migrants and hence the choices we make regarding what we need to do and how we should do it. The insights in this book remind me that I am one of the lucky ones.”