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Magical Journey: An Apprenticeship in Contentment Audiobook
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(4.07) - 178 listener ratings
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From the author of The Gift of an Ordinary Day comes an intimate memoir of loss, self-discovery, and growth that will resonate deeply with any woman who has ever mourned the passage of time, questioned her own purpose, or wondered, "Do I have what it takes to create something new in my life?"
"No longer indispensable, no longer assured of our old carefully crafted identities, no longer beautiful in the way we were at twenty or thirty or forty, we are hungry and searching nonetheless."
With the candor and warmth that have endeared her to readers, Kenison reflects on the inevitable changes wrought by time: the death of a dear friend, children leaving home, recognition of her own physical vulnerability, and surprising shifts in her marriage. She finds solace in the notion that midlife is also a time of unprecedented opportunity for growth as old roles and responsibilities fall away, and unanticipated possibilities appear on the horizon.
More a spiritual journey than a physical one, Kenison's beautifully crafted exploration begins and ends with a home, a life, a marriage. But this metamorphosis proves as demanding as any trek or pilgrimage to distant lands-it will guide and inspire every woman who finds herself asking: "What now?"
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"A midlife memoir that poignantly depicts the struggle to redefine one's self and one's life at menopause when the days ahead are fewer than the days behind. Katrina ruminates quite a bit on the effects of the empty nest when her younger son leaves home earlier than she had anticipated to attend boarding school, which will resonate with many women but not for those like myself with no children. However, Katrina's thoughtful and reflective consideration of her emotional and spiritual state at midlife will strike a chord with most any menopausal women even if the outer aspects of her life may not match that of Katrina's journey through the death of a close friend, yoga teacher training, starting a writing workshop, and Reiki. An inspirational read. My only qualm came when she revealed secret of a friend that she had been given in confidence. It was a powerful piece in the book but the absence of a statement that permission had been given to share the secret or that names and details had been changed made me uncomfortable as a reader.Book Pairings: Katrina mentions several books in her text that would make great pairings. Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Anne Morrow Lindbergh's A Gift from the Sea. Joan Anderson's A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman.Other books that look at the spiritual journey of menopause that would pair well: Transformation Through Menopause (non-fiction) and In Search of the Menopause Ranch (fiction)."
— Miz (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“No matter where you are on the journey, Kenison’s own pilgrimage points the way home. She gives us permission to stop trying to improve ourselves and invites us to relax into the wonder of who we already are.”
— Regina Brett, New York Times bestselling author of Be the Miracle -
“The afternoon of life can cast long shadows, but Katrina’s beautiful observations on love, loss, growth, and gratitude will brighten readers’ worlds considerably. You won’t find a better guide or friend to accompany you through the sorrows, joys, and mysteries we are all meant to share.”
— Priscilla Warner, New York Times bestselling author of Learning to Breathe -
“In this moving memoir, Katrina Kenison beckons readers into her world and proves to be an insightful guide and companion through the vicissitudes of life.”
— Chicago Tribune -
“With ferocious compassion, [Kenison] puts words to sensations and sudden hungers that most of us dare not name.”
— Carolyn Cooke, author of Daughters of the Revolution -
“Kenison’s quietly courageous search for purpose in the second half of life inspires the rest of us to examine our own ordinary lives with wonder and compassion. Deeply personal and gently instructive, this poignant memoir of loss and growth affirms that we are all intimately connected, our humble human stories more alike than different.”
— Stephen Cope, author of The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling -
“Reading Katrina Kenison’s beautifully written story helped me appreciate my own life with a new tenderness. Her book helps us realize that although our lives don’t turn out perfectly, they are precious and worthy of our love.”
— Hari Kirin Khalsa, author of Art & Yoga: Kundalini Awakening in Everyday Life -
“Katrina Kenison models powerfully effective practices for cultivating presence in our everyday lives so that we can experience more compassion for ourselves and others, thereby creating more moments of love and joy.”
— Libby Barnett, author of Reiki Energy Medicine: Bringing Healing Touch into Home, Hospital, and Hospice -
“In her modern reimagining of the mythic journey, Katrina Kenison is at once disarmingly human—she could be your best friend or mine—and courageously wise as, by example, she shows us how to turn the leave-takings and losses of our middle years into opportunities for transformation, connection, and wonder.”
— Lisa Garrigues, author of Writing Motherhood -
“Reading Katrina’s comforting words is like having a heartfelt conversation with your best friend...We connect with her in a surprisingly intimate way and read with pleasure what we all know to be true.”
— Bonnie Harris, author of When Your Kids Push Your Buttons -
“Deeply wise and courageous, every page of Magical Journey shines with beauty and pulses with truth.”
— Karen Maezen Miller, author of Hand Wash Cold: Care Instructions for an Ordinary Life -
“This luminous memoir is a gift to any reader searching for meaning, clarity, and perhaps a bit of hard-won joy. Katrina Kenison is the best kind of guide through our life’s passages.”
— Dani Shapiro, author of Devotion: A Memoir -
“Soul bared and hand extended, Kenison is right beside us as we, too, face life’s next inexorable threshold: the elusive pursuit of self-acceptance.”
— Margaret Roach, author of The Backyard Parables -
“An extended meditation on a certain passage in life—one comprised of loss and gain, deprivation and sustenance. Kenison learns the way to relinquish old pleasures and to seek out new pathways. This is a guide that we can all use—warm, intelligent, and compassionate.”
— Roxana Robinson, author of Cost -
“In this intensely moving tribute to the importance of enjoying every moment of life, Kenison...tells a tale inspired by loss and confides what can be gained from it.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“A collection of soul-searching reflections by a woman coming to terms with the three major challenges of midlife...Warm and wise.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Magical Journey Listener Reviews
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" Really enjoyed this thoughtful, warm and intimate story of a midlife woman's journey of self discovery, after her child rearing days are behind her. She deals with the death of a dear friend, relationship changes and finds faith and renewed hope by pushing aside fear and challenging herself. "
— Dena, 1/11/2014 -
" I love KK's writing style, and her books put words to so many of my emotions as I go through the same stages of my life. Somehow it's comforting having words to describe the jumble of emotions surrounding your children growing up and leaving you! Nicholas leaves for college in a few months so Katrina is like my wise friend who has been there, done that. She is pretty heavily into yoga though, and while I have recently started doing yoga classes, I'm pretty sure I won't become a yoga teacher! I did find the detailed yoga passages a little tedious, which is the only reason I didn't give it a 5. "
— Melinda, 1/6/2014 -
" Beautifully written, moving and real. Kenison is just ahead of me on this magical journey and I am so grateful for her footsteps to follow! "
— Amystaylor, 1/1/2014 -
" I read this book this past fall after our oldest left for college. It was just what I needed it was the validation of how I was feeling at the time. It was good to know that I was not alone or being melodramatic . "
— Beth, 12/31/2013 -
" Open, honest, raw, and beautiful. A book I'll return to again in a few years. "
— Marcella, 12/30/2013 -
" One of the best books I've read in a long time. Beautifully written, thoughtful and inspiring; I am recommending this book to all of my friends, and I'm looking forward to reading Kenison's "An Ordinary Day." "
— Barbara, 12/27/2013 -
" such a good read - so many passages that resonated. "
— Sarah, 12/18/2013 -
" I LOVED this book. A beautiful, motivational honest look at how our lives change. Parents aging, kids moving on...birth, death, change.....I will re-read this often. A MUST READ!! "
— Julie, 10/24/2013 -
" Fantastic journey. "
— Linda, 9/26/2013 -
" Katrina's writing is a ray of light, a song of love. She illuminates our most difficult passages. Highly recommended for anyone who realizes that life is always just beginning, especially when it seems over and done. "
— Karen, 8/19/2013 -
" Excellent exploration and account of mid-life, empty nest stage of life by a great wordsmith. Will read more of her books. "
— Sherry, 7/7/2013 -
" I love Kenison's writing, and though I'm not yet in her stage of life, her musings on loss, transition and growth were so moving. "
— Missy, 6/25/2013 -
" She writes the first chapter about becoming a true 'empty nester' as if it were my words and thoughts. How does she know!!! Only on page 70/279 "
— Ivy, 6/5/2013 -
" Luminous. Chockablock with wisdom. "
— Rebecca, 5/16/2013 -
" Anything written by Katrina Kenison is absolutely magical. Everyone of her books has resonated with me, and this one is especially pertinent right now! I loved reading about Katrina's yoga teacher training at Kripalu. "
— Wylie, 4/28/2013 -
" I really liked this book because I could identify with the author's feelings about midlife, motherhood and life. It is beautifully written and heartfelt. I would like to read The Gift of an Ordinary Day also by this author. "
— Denise, 4/5/2013 -
" Good memoir about life transitions and inspired living that will resonate with the 50+ female. "
— Deborah, 3/30/2013 -
" Deeply felt and beautifully written. For midlife! Which is where I am! Though sans kids, without the empty nest. Still, with lessons to teach. "
— Faith, 3/22/2013 -
" A wonderful memoir. I would give it a 7 if I could! Definitely the reader has to be in the "right" place in life to appreciate her wisdom. Stayed up very late to finish this one! Recommend for all my thoughtful contemporaries. "
— Sharon, 1/4/2013
About Katrina Kenison
Katrina Kenison has been the annual editor of The Best American Short Stories since 1990. Along with John Updike, she edited The Best American Short Stories of the Century, a New York Times bestseller. Also the coeditor of Mothers: Twenty Stories of Contemporary Motherhood, she has written essays that have appeared in such publications as Redbook and Ladies’ Home Journal. She lives outside of Boston with her husband and their two sons.