At some point in our life we will feel a void deep within us, as though something were missing that prevents us from being whole. Setting out, we go on a search to find that missing piece that would once again make us complete. This is our journey and it takes a life time to find what we are looking for. We long for it even though we are not sure what it is that we long for. It is always there deep within our heart. It calls to us to find it. It beckons us forward when we tire, for it knows that we are only exiles in this world and we cannot rest until we find it.
The Journey Back to Where You Are attempts to reclaim the place of Homer's Odyssey as an allegory for the spiritual quest--a journey from strife and division back to love and unity. Drawing on the works of ancient scholarship, but written in accessible language, it describes the journey we must all make to return from our own internal warlike Troy back to our own "native land." The volume contains the complete translation of the Odyssey by Samuel Butler, revised by faculty of the Center for Hellenic Studies at Harvard University, and used by permission.
Alexandra Elle writes frankly about her experience as a young, single mother while she celebrates her triumph over adversity and promotes resilience and self-care in her readers. This book of all-new poems from the beloved author of Words From A Wanderer and Love In My Language is a quotable companion on the road to healing.
The bestselling Journey to the West comic book by artist Chang Boon Kiat is now back in a brand new fully coloured edition. Journey to the West is one of the greatest classics in Chinese literature. It tells the epic tale of the monk Xuanzang who journeys to the West in search of the Buddhist sutras with his disciples, Sun Wukong, Sandy and Pigsy. Along the way, Xuanzang's life was threatened by the diabolical White Bone Spirit, the menacing Red Child and his fearsome parents and, a host of evil spirits who sought to devour Xuanzang's flesh to attain immortality. Bear witness to the formidable Sun Wukong's (Monkey God) prowess as he takes them on, using his Fiery Eyes, Golden Cudgel, Somersault Cloud, and quick wits! Be prepared for a galloping read that will leave you breathless!
A unique love story, a tale of loss, a parable of Europe, this haunting novel is an examination of intimacy and betrayal in a community rarely captured so vibrantly in contemporary literature. Zoli Novotna, a young woman raised in the traveling Gypsy tradition, is a poet by accident as much as desire. As 1930s fascism spreads over Czechoslovakia, Zoli and her grandfather flee to join a clan of fellow Romani harpists. Sharpened by the world of books, which is often frowned upon in the Romani tradition, Zoli becomes the poster girl for a brave new world. As she shapes the ancient songs to her times, she finds her gift embraced by the Gypsy people and savored by a young English expatriate, Stephen Swann. But Zoli soon finds that when she falls she cannot fall halfway–neither in love nor in politics. While Zoli’s fame and poetic skills deepen, the ruling Communists begin to use her for their own favor. Cast out from her family, Zoli abandons her past to journey to the West, in a novel that spans the 20th century and travels the breadth of Europe. Colum McCann, acclaimed author of Dancer and This Side of Brightness, has created a sensuous novel about exile, belonging and survival, based loosely on the true story of the Romani poet Papsuza. It spans the twentieth century and travels the breadth of Europe. In the tradition of Steinbeck, Coetzee, and Ondaatje, McCann finds the art inherent in social and political history, while vividly depicting how far one gifted woman must journey to find where she belongs. Praise for Zoli “Soaring and stumbling over decades of midcentury Eastern Europe, Zoli is a riveting novel.”—Gail Caldwell, Boston Sunday Globe “Beautifully written . . . Beautifully conceived, wonderfully told, the story is proof of an indomitable spirit. The elusive character of Zoli, the brilliang artist, is unforgettable.”—The Washington Post Book World BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Colum McCann's TransAtlantic.
While in college, a group of four young men establish a tradition: every year, they take a week-long adventure trip together. They go hiking, biking, or kayaking, traveling all around the world. They call it their Man Mission, an annual ritual that they keep for fifteen years. In the course of their travels, they hitch a ride with drug dealers in New Zealand, down kava shots on Fijian beaches, come face-to-face with a roaring lion in South Africa, luxuriate in a resort intended only for Vietnamese Communist officials, trek to Machu Picchu, and go ice climbing in Iceland. Over the years, they get married, start families, establish careers, and do all the stuff upright men are supposed to do. But when the challenges of real life come into conflict with the perfect lives they are supposed to be living, the yearly Man Mission becomes more than an annual getaway. It’s a source of stability and a place to find redemption. Part travel narrative and part roman à clef, this novel follows four regular guys as they find adventure together, and seek meaning and purpose, in a world where the traditional rules of “being a man” are no longer clear. “5 out of 5 stars”—Foreword Clarion Reviews “A fast-moving, fresh, multi-faceted story of exploration” —Louise Herron AM, CEO, Sydney Opera House “A candid account of a man’s viewpoint—4 out of 4 stars” —Online Book Club “Lively and well-told”—Blue Ink Review
