Laura Chester documents the American landscape as well as the American soul. In New England, she visits a root cellar chapel and one converted from a garage. She discovers an American stavkirke in Door County, Wisconsin, a Mother Goddess altar in San Francisco, and a straw bale milagro chapel in Arizona. The author describes the origins of a chapel made from tires in Alabama and one fashioned from wine casks in California. All these creations, whether formed out of found or traditional building materials, invite Chester to pose many questions. What spiritual path leads someone to create a private place of worship? Does such a space conflict with or supplement worship in a more public sense? How might a priest, rabbi, or minister react to a place of worship that is so individual? Does a private space nurture a marriage at a deeper level? Why do artists so often feel moved to explore their spirituality?

Holy Personal, says Chester, "furthers the idea of honoring our differences, while being mindful of our oneness.... It bears witness to a yearning for religious privacy, a deep desire to create for oneself a holy chamber, a place where creative expression joins hands with devotion". A visitor's guide to selected sites isalso included.