My book review as a contributor of such for: http://www.theooze.com/"The Book of the Shepherd" is a well written fable by Joann Davis. From the get go, I was motivated and intrigued by the subtitle, "The Story of One Simple Prayer, and How it Changed the World." I was asking myself, "What kind of prayer changed the whole world?" Of course, I already had a little list in my head going. But I was definitely curious to find out the secret of this particular book....
I was not disappointed, to say the least. The fable unfolds by weaving poignant messages/themes with powerful character development in a seamless storyline. Each character had his/her own unique story within the bigger story, and learns more about him/herself and the ways of the world during their integrated journey together of a quest to find timeless truth (i.e. the prayer that changed the world). I found myself engaged in the journey with them and pondering what self-discovery I was making, or how I could relate to each character's story. Slipping in and out of the story, I kept trying to figure out what the major theme was of the book. I wish I hadn't approached the book like this, it was not a good method. Reflecting back, I can now see that. as always, its more about the story and the process of the getting the answers than the actual end point itself.
I recommend this book if you need a break from didactic books, etc. It is entertaining. You will find yourself engaged in the characters and their stories and the bigger story that encompasses the entire fable. And in the end you will finally find out which prayer changed the whole world....
