Leaning on Cedars (A Novel)

This story of initation is informed by esoteric ideas of rites of passage applied in the modern context. It is a vision quest that resonates with the social issues of our time, and especially speaks to young adults and late adolescents...though it can be reflective of anyone's experience.

At age 21, Jason is unfulfilled, lacking direction, and coming out of a bitter breakup with his girlfriend. He resolves to make a fresh start, and a serendipitous encounter with a Native American elder named Chip introduces him to the notion of the Manitou—traditional initiation—where one is left alone in the wilderness to confront who one was, who one is, and who one will become. Embarking on a solitary retreat into the snow-laden Rockies, Jason soon finds himself trapped in a cave for days, where the essence of who he believed himself to be is shattered, foreshadowing an impending near-death experience. When he awakens lying on the floor of a hut, injured and aching with pain, he is met by his rescuer, Charles. Through conversations with this Good Samaritan, Jason finds new meaning in the most human of questions: how does one lead a fulfilling life?