Böcker av Helen Burns

Female readers will readily embrace this gentle yet strong exploration of the power of motherhood. Helen Burns confides that "every prayer I prayed, every bedtime story I read, every tear I kissed away, every encouraging word I spoke, every promise I kept, every memory I made -- all of these things truly mattered." Written in what she refers to as the "reward stage" of motherhood -- when all the seeds she has sown are reaping harvest in the lives of her now-grown children -- she rejoices that she can "fully understand the why behind the what in everything we do as mothers." Any mother will be refreshed as she is reminded of the value of the everyday miracles that result from expressing affection, being truly present in conversations, and demonstrating commitment in small ways.

In a memoir of saints, sages, and swollen ankles, Helen walks across the Catholic heartland of Northern Spain. Her chosen route is the picturesque Camino Way, a Christian pilgrimage revered since medieval times. Ancient towns and villages, each with a distinct culture and cuisine, mark the way.Memories and miles intertwine, spanning not only the countryside but also her Christian upbringing and later life as a Buddhist. What is it that compels her into the cathedrals and rustic churches she finds during her month-long journey?''Just as I walked from Roncesvalles to Santiago de Compostela - a different woman now to the one who began - I also travelled from one religion to another. Perhaps I put on pilgrim boots to better understand the message of each - the verbs of their prayers - what it means to engage with life, the joys of aloneness and the delights of company.''Through recollections of meditation retreats, monasteries in Burma and encounters with the gilded Saints and Madonnas of Spanish cathedrals, Helen contemplates the heart of two religions, in her quest for deeper meanings that can unite us all.