Holy Man's Journey [Paperback]

Susan Trott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1998

The captivating and spiritually illuminating tales of the Holy Man continue in Susan Trott's wise and witty follow-up to her national bestseller. In The Holy Man's Journey, the beloved man on the mountain undertakes a pilgrimage of his own to find his old teacher. Accompanying him is his student successor, Anna, who learns life lessons along the way. Intimate and revealing, this is a tale of friendship and love that shows the human side of the holy man while never ceasing to instruct and enlighten the reader.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Trott uses the concentrated form of the parable to entrancing effect in her latest two unabashedly spiritual books, The Holy Man (1995) and this potent tale, a continuation of the story of Joe, her irresistible cosmic hero. A true guru, Joe is gentle, wise, and blessed with a rich sense of humor. A half-dozen of his followers have gathered for a summer retreat, but Joe has other plans. His teacher, a man some 20 years his junior, is ill, and Joe has decided to visit him. He asks Anna, a healer, to accompany him, not because of his own precarious health, but because, unbeknownst to her, she is destined to be his successor. Each phase of their dramatic "learning journey" becomes a lesson in compassion and right action not only for Anna but also for Trott's spellbound readers. This is a deft, stirring, and universally appealing story inlaid with genuine wisdom and a palatable love of life. Donna Seaman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Sequel to Trott's The Holy Man (1995), which hit the bestseller lists--in San Francisco--for weeks. Trott has written ten novels, including Divorcing Daddy (1992). This modest story picks up with enlightened Anna and snide husband Errol and their two small kids still at the Holy Man's retreat on a sacred mountain in an Eastern country. Joe the Holy Man, now in failing health in his mid-70s, wants to go down the mountain for the first time in 25 years and see his mentor, Chen, for a farewell visit. As it happens, Chen is 25 years younger than Joe and has built a ``Univers-City,'' where 2,500 young disciples pay to keep Chen in luxury. Joe and Anna have several minor adventures on their way to Chen, and from each Anna learns something new via Joe's wisdom. During a visit to a shop, Anne is nearly raped but learns to accept blame for putting herself in danger's way. From a cab driver with an obsession to collect rare clay pots she learns about repressed creativity. From three beggar women she learns how to help the deprived feel worthy. Anna, it turns out, also has a gift for healing. At last she and Joe meet Chen, a Chinese genius who grew up in a Cambodian monastery before becoming Joe's teacher. Chen sees Joe as a great trickster, and when Joe dies offstage as Chen is speaking to his huge student body in the Univers-City auditorium, it's an act that an astonished Chen calls Joe's greatest trick. When Chen and Anna carry the old man's sweet-smelling corpse back to his monastery for burial, Anna discovers that her abrasive husband has seemingly run off with the kids. Meanwhile, Joe's death serves to jolt Chen back to reality. All right, mildly entertaining, but clearly for the already pre-sold. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead Trade (April 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573226602
• ISBN-13: 978-1573226608
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #698,160 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in Andover, Mass, educated in Boston, Providence,and Bennington Vt. I fled the cold of New England to live happily ever after in Northern California, where most of my 15 novels take place with forays back to NE and to other countries. I am the mother of three, grandmother of eight. As my marathoning days are behind me, I've become a dedicated ping pong player and T'ai Chi dancer. My books have acquired a multitude of Hollywood options but just one movie, When Your Lover Leaves..., an NBC movie of the week. I live on a houseboat with my husband, who is retired from the Norwegian Merchant Marine, and my Cocker Spaniel who only sometimes retires from playing ball. I continue to be devoted to the craft of writing.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It really is a C-L-A-S-S-I-C!, April 11, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Holy Man's Journey (Hardcover)

When I discovered that Susan Trott had written more about The Holy Man I could hardly wait to get "We've found the book" on my e-mail. Thankfully ordering from Amazon was easy but waiting for it's delivery was almost as frustrating as the final weeks of a pregnancy. By the end of 41 short sections, Susan Trott again had this reader's admiration of the way Joe's journey increased Anna's capacity to become Joe's successor. The changes in Anna's husband and Joe's mentor reinforces one's belief that there really are no coincidences. This book, along with The Holy Man, deserves all the words of praise on the book jacket and more. This is a classic to be read again and again

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderment and joy., October 5, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Burbank, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Holy Man's Journey (Hardcover)

If you haven't read these two books -- "Holy Man" and this one -- do it. Keep them if you can, because you will want everyone you know to read them and you will give them as special gifts. I gave these books as a birthday gift to a friend and she said -- "Oh my gosh, I've been looking for these!"....See what I mean. You'll love them.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I wouldn't have thought Susan could do it, but..., October 28, 2005

By 

K. Partin "katblue2" (Huntsville, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Holy Man's Journey (Paperback)

she did! A sequel as good as the first. I've given THE HOLY MAN to many as a gift and those who responded with enthusiasm often get this book as a gift later. Many of these people like THE HOLY MAN'S JOURNEY better! I don't like it better, necessarily, because THE HOLY MAN came into my life in an unusual way at just the right moment and I don't think any book could compete with that. Still, ...JOURNEY further develops the story and has some great new characters. There are many lessons to learn in a simple, beautiful way.