A Mother's Prayer
A Mother's Prayer is a striking memoir about an ordinary woman doing extraordinary things, persisting for the sake of her family, mainly her three children.
Read the MemoirPraise for A Mother's Prayer"Steve Rand captures the helplessness and confusion of children witnessing a loving parent suffer. He makes you laugh on one page and guts you on the next. It's an engrossing story about family and about children trying to make sense of one parent's neglect and another's selflessness."
— Kenneth Logan, author of True Letters from a Fictional Life
"Her prayers were in her eyes, in her gait, and in her dreams of an everlasting life."
About Steve Rand
Steve Rand is an author and director for civic engagement at Norwich University in Vermont. He writes about morality and ethics, love and loss, shame and grace, and how we are often conflicted about who we are and what we have become. Regret often means you are alive and well on your way to examining a more beautiful life. Whether you write about it or not.
Read Steve's Full Story
A Life Shaped by Story
Steve Rand's path to writing began with a poetry class that changed everything. What started as a dream of sports journalism became a lifelong devotion to reading, writing, and teaching. While serving in the Navy as a photographer, Steve wrote about his travels to distant places and read books under amber lights in a photo lab. He ended up studying English and history and education at the University of Vermont, where he won the Allbee Award for Excellence in Writing. Later, he earned a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Dartmouth College. Today, Steve lives in Vermont with his wife, surrounded by mountains, four children, and three grandchildren.
Read Full Bio
Upcoming Readings & Events
Join Steve for readings, signings, and conversations about memory, family, and the craft of storytelling. Check the events page for upcoming appearances in Vermont and beyond.
View Upcoming Events
Stories That Illuminate the Human Spirit
Voices That Resonate
- E Emily Carter Reader
This memoir held my attention from the first page. The honesty, emotional clarity, and courage behind every moment make it a book I'll return to again and again.
- J Jordan Smith Reader
A Mother's Prayer is filled with sincerity and meaning. It felt like listening to a friend speak their truth with vulnerability, grace, and undeniable strength.
- L Linda Reyes Reader
I was struck by the raw emotion in every chapter. It's a story that reminds you of the human capacity for love even in difficult times.
- K Kate Haughey Executive Director, Vermont Folklife Center
A Mother's Prayer renders an intimate portrait of an American family made extraordinary by one woman's quiet courage. Rand focuses on what might otherwise be unseen—the grace, endurance, and humanity of a mother whose strength shaped everything. In honoring her, Steve reveals the deeper truth and dignity within everyday life.
