Walking to Mercury

Unlike many, I have never read any of Starhawk's nonfiction books, so I came to Fifth Sacred Thing, which I read first, knowing only that the author was a practicing witch and psychologist, but not burdened with ideology. So I was able to read both novels without comparing them to anything else the author had written. I won't go on about Fifth Sacred Thing here, since this is a review for Walking To Mercury, but I will say I really loved that book and was excited when I saw there was another novel with the same character. I was really impressed with the way Starhawk presented Maya's beginnings and her journey toward spiritual wholeness. I am about a decade too young to have been involved in the 60s changes, so a lot of what was described was new to me. I followed Maya's journey with great interest and felt that the author did an excellent job of showing the steps the character took to get to where she was in Fifth Sacred Thing. In fact, after I read Walking To Mercury, I instantly reread Fifth Sacred Thing. I love the character of Maya and was happy to read on about her. I don't know that Starhawk will ever write another novel, but if she does, I will definitely read it.

I'd never read any of Starhawk's work before. So to read this, with no preconceived ideas about the characters, served me well. It was inspirational, reading of Maya, and of her journey (both personal and spiritual). This book changed my life, and has called me to travel to Nepal, simply to experience the places that were described so vividly in this book. It's the amazing journey of one woman.

"Walking to Mercury" added depth and soul to "The Fifth Sacred Thing." After reading this latest addition, I reread "The Fifth Sacred Thing" and appreciated it so much more. Rio became a real person rather than a mysterious ghost. I developed great admiration for Maya, the Crone, after knowing her as a young woman who is learning from her mistakes, suffering, living life. It's a story about real people and Starhawk's portrayal makes the reader care about them.Starhawk portrayal of the evolution of our society in this book increased the credibility of her vision of the future in the other. The novel also explained how Maya came to hold so many of her viewpoints later. If you enjoyed "The Fifth Sacred Thing," you'll like learning more about the characters in it. If you haven't read it, this book stands alone quite well -- but you'll probably be drawn to read the other because you want to know what happens next. Since many of the characters in "The Fifth Sacred Thing" are descendents of those in "Walking Toward Mercury," reading one contributed to the experience of reading the other. However, the two novels have a different voice entirely despite the common characters. I enjoyed both.In summary, "Walking Toward Mercury" is an outstanding novel set in the present that beautifully portrays a fictional yet very real life.

I'm sure I'm in the minority when I say this, but I liked this better than The Fifth Sacred Thing. That book was about a future utopia/dystopia, which was entertaining, but this book was about the here and now, which made it so much more relevant. This book is all about personal transformation, evolving spirituality, dealing with disappointment, overcoming hardship, and the realities of families and friends. I loved the juxtoposition of time, and her descriptions of Nepal were so beautiful and vivid that I felt as if I'd actually visited the place by the time I was finished reading. Brava!

Starhawk's latest novel, Walking to Mercury, poignantly portrays the very real cycles of life all of us have at various times experienced. The fact that the story takes place over several decades only increases your emotional connection to the characters' struggles. I followed the evolution of the relationship between the main characters, Maya and Johanna, with personal interest. I read this book in a couple of days, intensely identifying with the desire to find out what your power in the world is and the sometimes painful healings that take place at major turning points in life. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has been involved in the search for meaning, wants an intelligent novel dealing with spirituality or is a fan of Starhawk's other books. Enjoy