The Desert Pilgrim: En Route to Mysticism and Miracles

By Mary Swander

Book Overview

"This evocative memoir flashes back to Swander's Catholic childhood, the death of her mother, and other events that made her suspicious of opening herself to spirituality. Hers is a tale of discovery."-- Chicago Tribune While driving home one cold winter night, Mary Swander was struck by another car. The accident left her almost completely paralyzed and in chronic pain, with no medical cure or relief in sight. A lapsed Catholic, without any family to speak of, and now severely disabled, she was suddenly faced with how very alone she was in the world. On the verge of losing all hope, she traveled to New Mexico in search of the alternative medicine that the region is known for. It was a decision that would change her forever. In this exquisite memoir, critically acclaimed writer and poet Mary Swander recounts her journey toward emotional, physical, and spiritual recovery amid the stark desert beauty of the American southwest. There she meets two unusual healers: Father Sergei, a Russian Orthodox monk who helps restore her faith; and Lu, a curandera , whose herbal remedies help restore her body. As she chronicles her own transcendent experiences, Swander embarks upon an investigation into the history of healing and mystics such as Teresa of Avila, St. Francis of Assisi, and Hildegard of Bingen. Beautifully written and conveyed with sensitivity and humor, The Desert Pilgrim is a meditation on what it takes to restore our faith in the modern world--and how to believe in miracles again.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0142196304
• ISBN13: 9780142196304
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 332 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

remarkable

this is a heartfelt, truthful work. mary swander is an inspiration and her writing is comforting and honest.

Meaningful and Inspiring

Swander does some important legwork for everyone who has suffered chronic illness and/or pain and wondered why, why, why, and how can I be healed ?! She describes her journey to New Mexico and her hopes for finding healing there, but she discovers so much more than healing. She shares with us the wisdom of a Catholic monk, a woman with a gift for prescribing herbal remedies, and mystics such as Hildegard of Bingen, St. John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, and St. Francis. The book also touches on other topics such as the medical establishment, meditation, the history of women healers, and relevant episodes of the author's family life. This book is a wonderful treat stuffed full of inspirational messages, information and ideas that most of us can relate to.

A Healing Journey

In The Desert Pilgrim, Iowan Mary Swander shares her journey from debilitating illness to physical and spiritual healing with the help of an Orthodox monk and an herbal healer in an Albuquerque barrio. Swander doesn't exaggerate the extent of her recovery or the power of her regained faith, yet there is no doubt she has been transformed by this experience and by the wisdom and generosity of Lu and Father Sergei. Swander's writing is clear and accessible, and her story is an inspiration.