Books Recently Read-The Story

The Story penned & illustrated by Sanyasuk Andekshkwe To order copies, see some awesome pictures, & hear some great music: http://www.songofsilvercrow.com/ The Author’s blog: http://www.lightingtheseventhfire.blogspot.com/ Visit Tribe of the Seventh Fire

I have started writing this review about five times now. Each time I stop, look into space, wander around in my head and then start writing. One of the reasons for this would be that finding a way to describe this book without sounding like one of the proverbial blind men describing an elephant would be a difficult task. I found The Story to be equal parts “Da Vinci Code” type thriller, dream quest, autobiographical narrative and travelogue. I might have left a few parts out.

The main but not exclusive viewpoint character of the book is Silver Crow aka Charles Ambrose Tyson aka Charlie, a half first nations -half Scandinavian/celtic intuitive reader/sage. Charlie is asked by a client to help locate his brother who has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Thus begins an adventure that will lead the two from Charlie’s home in Wisconsin through many diverse places including a good deal of the Middle East, the Vatican, Eastern Europe and other diverse places. While this is happening in their waking lives, there is a second narrative, a dream quest that is shared by both  of a young native mystic and his mentor, an equally compelling story. Each chapter starts with Charlie discussing part of his past. It enhances the story rather than detracts from it. Both the main plot and the dream quest find their resolutions and everything ties together neatly in the end but that matters little for as one character sings “The destination does not matter, for it is the journey that brings the joy.”

Oh yeah, one other thing. In the book you’ll find quite a lot about “A Course in Miracles”, the writer Sanyasuk Andekshkwe (Silver Crow) has dedicated the book to The Foundaion for A Course in Miracles and the students and teachers of the same. He quotes from it quite a bit and Charlie centres himself most days by reading and meditating on the Course. According to Wikipedia, “A Course in Miracles (also referred to as ACIM or the Course) written by Dr. Helen Schucman with the help of Dr. William Thetford is a self-study book that presents a purely non-dualistic metaphysical thought system yet provides practical application in its approach to spirituality." The quotes and ideas from ACIM resonated with this reader and will no doubt for many others.

So Did I like the book? Definitely, tho there are large parts I might want to read another time or two and reflect on and absorb. The plot moves along nicely and the intrigue is suitably intriguing.  The best quest stories for me have had the ability to bring the reader along and give him or her the feeling that they too were on the quest. On that level this book succeeds also. Silver Crow bends if not breaks a few writing conventions in terms of viewpoint among other things but pulls it off without pulling one too far out of the story. One of the main things I ask for in a narrative these days would be that the characters in them be if not likeable, intriguing enough to hang out with. On that level this book definitely succeeds. About my only complaint would be that the illustrations within the book (many of which are amazing, others which are merely beautiful) are in black and white. Check out the sites linked to above to see many of them in colour.  Definitely recommended.