Customer Reviews

The Camel Knows the Way

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When Lorna Kelly asked me recently to read her book about her experiences with Mother Teresa, I initially thought, "Oh, Good Lord, here we go again." Having volunteered with the Missionaries of Charity and read books about Mother, anytime one crosses my path, a silent brainscream fills the room. Most are either heedlessly inflated by existentialist gases. Others have a sad dispirited homework smell to them. And others are not for the sucrose intolerant. But I was more than pleasantly surprised. As a senior editor at Forbes Magazine and a former Wall Street Journal reporter, I know superb writing when I see it. This book is full of it. After a long, dry absence, here, finally, was a book about Mother I couldn't put down. And when I did I had a feeling of unrelieved happiness and peace. The stock of superlatives can't be exhausted about this one. It's got Movie written all over it. What do I mean by that? Finally we have a book about Mother that shows the essence of what she really was about: Being fully human by embracing humanity. But first Ms. Kelly takes you on her 15-year quest for peace and the meaning of life. As Sotheby's first female auctioneer, Ms. Kelly knows of life's pleasantries. She also knows how alcohol can hollow out the spirit and what's it like to endure severe depression. Ms. Kelly's journey takes her from the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya where the Buddha received his enlightenment to the site of the True Cross. She's bathed in the sea of Galillee, prayed at the Western Wall, sat in meditation for months on end, fasted for 40 days, climbed Mount Sinai and spent time on a camel in the desert. All that, she knows, sounds very grand. But it's her firsthand travels and experiences overseas working and being with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charities where her journey, and the joy, really begins. And Ms. Kelly delivers this journey with a bracing honesty, grace and a knife-sharp wit. I had already heard about Ms. Kelly from the sisters and about her legendary first encounter with Mother Teresa, in which Mother took one look at Ms. Kelly's red nail polish and told her to spend her money on the poor instead, to which Ms. Kelly replied that that's exactly what Judas said to Jesus. (Ms. Kelly might be surprised to know that the way the sisters tell it is that Ms. Kelly is a modern-day Mary Magdalene). In one hilarious sequence in her book, in of all places Kalighat, Mother's first home for the dying, Ms. Kelly writes that her compunction for orderliness makes her want to bellow, "All right, all right, we'll have no more dying today, all this dying simply has to stop!" Ms. Kelly is refreshingly candid. She writes of how she described to one of the sisters that "making love on acid, well, that was something else. It felt as if we were one and that the lovemaking could last forever," to which the sister replied, "Ah what heaven must be like!" She writes hilariously about the awful driving behavior of local residents in Calcutta (who all drive like they just got out of a coup). Here you'll find what Mother Teresa considered to be her greatest personal sacrifice (leaving her mother). Here you'll see what it's like, as Ms. Kelly artfully puts it, to come up against a "high wall" and peering over, to see "a life of freedom through the spirit." It's true what Ms. Kelly says, that working with the Missionaries strips you to the bone. You become, happily, yourself and nothing more. At the end, I wasn't surprised to read that Mother told Ms. Kelly, "I don't pray for you, I just thank God for you." And why would Mother say that to Ms. Kelly? Because both know, as far as I can tell, that life holds this one simple truth: You can become the richest most successful person on the planet, but ultimately what does that mean? That you'll be the richest most successful person in the cemetery. Ms. Kelly tells us that what really counts is not that we are all on a singular journey, but who accompanies us along the way. And that following Christ's example by loving humans is what opens the heart. Her experience as relayed in her book is exactly what St. Therese of Lisieux meant when she wrote: "For me prayer is an outburst of the heart, it is a simple look thrown towards heaven, a cry of recognition and love both in times of trial and in times of joy. Finally, it is something great, supernatural, which opens my soul and unites me to Jesus."

This wonderful book tells of Lorna Kelly's spiritual journey to improve her conscious contact with God. While some may seek God in churches or enlightening books, Ms. Kelly went to a different source: Mother Theresa. Her descriptions of the poor of Calcutta make any life in this country seem opulent by comparison, but they are told with un-whitewashed reality and truth. The descriptions of how the sisters there minister to the poor and sick are stories of tremendous courage that could only stem from unwavering faith. Interwoven with her experiences with Mother Theresa, Ms. Kelly describes her own life, her recovery from alcoholism and her unconventional career. The story is not told without excellent humor and more than a bit of gentle sarcasm. I can't recommend this book enough; in the end it has little to do with practicing religion and everything to do with committment to a better world and the faith to make it happen.

Our book group, comprised of women ranging in age from late 30s to 70s, gave this book unanimous approval. All of us enjoyed the book, all for various reasons.

The author prsents a unique portrait of Mother Teresa. This is probably the only book where Mother Teresa is portrayed in such a profoundly human, relational way.

The author, Lorna Kelly, went to Calcutta to work with the poor and established a personal relationship with Mother Teresa. In a world filled with sycophants and people who were in awe of MT, Lorna Kelly managed to establish a more equal relationship.

Kelly also vividly describes the work done by MT and the order of sisters she founded.

The story of MT is also intertwined with the author's moral and spiritual struggle which we found moving. Kelly seemed to hold back nothing of her own struggle.

Amazon.com should really have this book available for anyone who searches under "Mother Teresa" as this book provides insights into the personality of the future saint that very few authors are ever likely to portray. In addition, Kelly's spiritual struggle, while intensely Catholic in one way, transcends religious boundaries. The author's unceassing search for God's presence in her life resonated most profoundly with one of the youngest members of our group, who happens to be Jewish, and at the beginning of her own spiritual journey.

In _The Camel Knows the Way_, Lorna Kelly invites her readers to join her in her spiritual quest for a closer relationship with God. As she begins her story, the reader learns that she is fascinated with Mother Teresa; so much so that she jets off to Calcutta to be near her. And thus begins her journey of spiritual growth and her unexpected friendship with the awe-inspiring Mother.

Ms. Kelly's writing is direct; yet her images are so colorful that they enfold the reader in a world of intense suffering and poverty that is nevertheless surrounded by great joy and spiritual celebration. _The Camel Knows the Way_ amused, distressed and ultimately taught me much about Lorna Kelly, Mother Teresa and myself.

I was very touched by this true story of an intelligent person struggling to come to terms with her past, her family, grief, alcoholism, the material world and all the ills of everyday life. Beautifully and artfully written. The writer is no saint but, after one reads this book, her pure heart in unquestioned. Her sainthood (if I may use the word) is in her humanity and divine inclination to do good. She is like you and I struggling to exist and make a difference in this tragic world. In spite of all the material conforts and easy life, she is the poorer of the poor. I highly recommend this book to anybody looking for a good read to inspire both the heart and the spirit. God bless you Lorna! I just wish there were more books like yours out there!

I'm keeping this book. Reading this book was an inspiring and spiritual experience. Mother Teresa and those that follow her have always interested me. How can people go into the world of the poor and stick with it. Read the book and find out! It's an eye opener.

The Camel Knows the Way by Lorna Kelly is a fabulous book! I could not put it down! I have recommended it to everyone who crosses my path. This wonderful woman's journey is such an inspiration to so many of us like her.......those of us who clutch rhinestones to our breasts while God awaits with diamonds. Thank you for sharing your gift Ms. Kelly.

Lorna Kelly takes us with her on a journey to Calcutta and the Missionaries of Charity. Her work there amid the squalor and slums, includes the flowering of her remarkable friendship with Mother Theresa. The story is basically the tale of this unlikely relationship.Ms. Kelly, who was the first female auctioneer at Sotheby's, becomes Mother's friend and confidant. In recounting her trips there, she evokes the sights, sounds, and smells of the city, while working with thte poorest of the poor-- and confronting her own inner demons. The Camel Knows the way is Ms. kelly's extraordinary travelogue of her actua; and spiritual journey.

A friend sent me this book and what a gift it turned out to be! I couldn't put it down, but at times when I had to, I found myself pondering Ms. Kelly's thought-provoking experiences. Lorna Kelly's honesty, wit, and wisdom weave a powerful story of her search for God and friendship with Mother Theresa into a tale of inspiration for us all. A story of hope and love much needed today. I hope Ms. Kelly continues to write.

It was a book I really didn't want to put down. The writer was so articulate that at times I felt like I was with her on her journey.