The Journey is both intriguing and exciting, and it carries the reader along on a quest. I not only heard about Gwen’s journey, I was also there with her. It was almost like I could walk her spiritual quest with her.

I’ve never read anything before that was historically accurate that I loved, and I loved this. I loved that it was educational and that the writing was so vivid. I could hear the sounds, smell the smells, feel the atmosphere of the places that she went to. And I don’t mean just the historical significance of these places; the writing conveyed the flavor that they’ve carried with them from centuries past.

The characters were rich, and the interactions were real and colorful. The relationships were typical of the relationships that all of us fall into—the ones to be wary about and the ones that are useful and valuable. I found myself trying to get Gwen to see the obvious, to not get into the messes she got into. I also shared with her the great relief and joy of the realization that she came to at the end of the book.

The teachers and guides that Gwen met along the way really portrayed quite well the kinds of teachers that are useful and the ones to be wary of. I thought it was very sweet that at every step along her path there is something useful and something dangerous. The author gave value to every perspective. And because of that, it was all the more interesting and exciting that Gwen moved beyond to a deeper understanding. It’s a useful book for someone on a spiritual journey.

I found myself thinking at the end: maybe my husband and I could go walk along this trail and meet some of these people and walk the labyrinth at Chartres! I highly recommend it for anyone who is thinking of walking this trail.

I’m waiting for the next one! Maybe Gwen will go back to study more deeply with people who have the kind of realization that she’s moving towards now. And I wanted to know what happened to Jacob.

Devi Tide, Executive Director and Secretary General of the Sufi Order International, North America; Kafayat, Sufi Healing Order, North America.

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