The Mystic is for all ages and backgrounds, I've recommended it for a
teenager who is searching for her own life meaning and purpose, what a
great way to send a terrific message through a novel, a realistic
heathly approach...Dante's journey is full of life lessons that leave
you thinking about your own life journey...The Mystic is entertaining,
keeps your attention, simple yet thought provoking. CHERYLE CARMITCHEL (Cave Creek, AZ)
Four stars! A good read. The book was true to the quote on its back
cover: " The story reminds me that all human beings are on an
individual journey-like me, here on the edge of the Sea of Death." Many
parts of the book seemed real, like chapters about a tea ritual and
Dante's visit to the Museum of Abnormal Medicine. The writing is
uncomplicated and spare, like a fable or parable. I'm recommending it
to my friends. There is a lot of wisdom about the life in "The Mystic" TODD SMITH (Santa Barbara, CA)
After reading Paulo Coelho's book, The Alchemist, I was looking for
another inspirational book. The Mystic fit the bill. It is an
entertaining read taking the reader to intriguing locations in Japan
and China with the most unique characters. If you have an interest in
Zen and personal spiritual journeys, you will enjoy reading this book! (TONY BLEASDALE, Vancouver, BC, Canada)
The Mystic is a travel adventure about a young man's natural
inclination to understand the dynamics of life through his firsthand
relationships with sages and contemporaries in the digital world. I
particularly enjoyed how the book characterized his "applied mysticism"
in the everyday choices he made. This book is food for thought for
parents and their children or those who look for relevance in the
integrity of their choices. M. WHITE (Boston, MA. May 1, 2008)
An enjoyable read, but even more, the story remains with me each day as I take my own everyday journeys. (PATRICIA HADDAD)
Dante, the protagonist in Howard Eaton's delightful little story, is
the perfect avatar for a young reader to engage in a gentle exploration
of the wisdom of the East and the awareness of other ways of seeing the
world. Dante, a wonderfully sincere and benevolent misfit (he's a
high-school drop-out, and a genius computer-game creator), embarks on
an adventure/vision-quest to the Far East to find his true calling. He
is continually challenged with new and provocative ideas, and manages
to learn from each encounter while expanding his sense of himself and
his place in the world. He also has a profound influence on each of the
people he meets. He's a great character, and the world through his eyes
is both humbling and inspiring. The book jacket promises "... danger,
crisis, death, poverty, wealth, and love..." but each of these is
touched on in age-appropriate ways for the younger reader. As an adult
reader, I hope Dante's adventures continue. CRAIG LINCOLN (Los Angeles, CA. May 19, 2008)
Dante, the protagonist in Howard Eaton's delightful little story, is
the perfect avatar for a young reader to engage in a gentle exploration
of the wisdom of the East and the awareness of other ways of seeing the
world. Dante, a wonderfully sincere and benevolent misfit (he's a
high-school drop-out, and a genius computer-game creator), embarks on
an adventure/vision-quest to the Far East to find his true calling. He
is continually challenged with new and provocative ideas, and manages
to learn from each encounter while expanding his sense of himself and
his place in the world. He also has a profound influence on each of the
people he meets. He's a great character, and the world through his eyes
is both humbling and inspiring. The book jacket promises "... danger,
crisis, death, poverty, wealth, and love..." but each of these is
touched on in age-appropriate ways for the younger reader. As an adult
reader, I hope Dante's adventures continue. CRAIG LINCOLN (Los Angeles, CA)
I was talking with a reader this morning, and Mary said she appreciated the booklist I included at the end of the novel. (It's in the Acknowledgments section at the end of the book.) Then she said that, as she thought more about Dante's experiences, the book was in a layman's way a survey of eastern mysticism. She's right. Mary herself is well read in Tao and Zen, so I was gld to get the feedback. I hope you and other readers will read the books listed in my Ackowledgments.
A number of readers have asked about my book's cover. It was created by
the Canadian artist, Margarethe Vanderpas. The cover portrays much of
the geography that Dante journyed through. She also caught aspects of
time and of course 'mysticism.' If you want to visit her online studio,
go to: http://www.vanderpas.com/art/ .
The Mystic Blog
Welcome to The Mystic blog. Good luck and happy writing.
Howard Eaton