"We must fight the tendency to reduce the world's cultures to sound bites and remember that all religions in all countries are composed of real people." So writes Lisa Rowe Fraustino in her introduction to Soul Searching, an inspired collection of short stories and the answer to the prayers of anyone looking for a book that ponders faith. Thirteen stirring narratives by acclaimed authors illuminate the world's major religions -- Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism -- as well as a few lesser-known belief systems. From Linda Oatman High's story of Sadie, who is shunned by her small Amish community, to Elsa Marston's Mujahhid, who grapples to understand the idea of jihad within the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, each of these thirteen adolescent protagonists is faced with a life-altering crisis that triggers an evaluation of the way he or she believes.