Book Review: The Great Western Divide by John Spivey - Page 3

John feels that one of the reasons we are so lost and scared is that we have no means of connection to the place where we were born. As a species we have drifted away from the love of place that these people had; we don't belong anywhere anymore.

Near the beginning of the book, John asks you across the fire:

What did you see when you first looked into your parent's eyes? Did you gain a small taste of infinity submerged in the depths of your parent's love? Did you gain a first glimpse of who you really are reflected and magnified in the lens of their being? Or did you fall into the emptiness of their self-absorption and pain, the emptiness of being buried beneath their beliefs about life? ibid, p.37

By telling his personal story, John shows us how a person's spirit can be destroyed and our fears developed. Sometimes the inheritance left us with more than just physical possessions and monetary gain. We could be carrying emotional scars that date back generations and with each new birth the wound is opened afresh.

Fears and beliefs about ourselves born in childhood can govern our behaviour for the rest of our lives unless we have the strength and determination to look into the dark places inside that scare us. The memories of actions that shame us the most are always a good place to start because to find out why you did that will tell you so much about who and what you are. It's not looking for excuses, according to John, but explanations. Once you understand why you act like you do, it’s a lot easier to affect change.

I've sensitive radar for what I call self-aggrandisement through pain and suffering. "Look at how amazing I am for having been through so much" stories that are told for no purpose other than the author's need to inflict themselves upon others is the worst excuse for writing around these days.

John doesn't even come close to approaching this territory. He's writing about himself because that's what he knows best, and he serves as a good example for what he is trying to talk about. His journey into his personal darkness is told for a purpose; a road map of the ongoing process of self-exploration, not an exercise in self-flagellation as is so popular today.

You can't help but be moved by his experiences; but by the manner in which he recounts his story, and tells the stories of others, you know that you would have felt the same emotions if he had been talking of someone else. It is the sign of a great storyteller that he or she can talk about personal issues and not make it a cry for attention.

Article Author: Richard Marcus

Richard Marcus is the author of the forthcoming book What Will Happen In Eragon IV? and has had his work published in print and on line all over the world. The not so long-haired Canadian iconoclast writes reviews and opines on the world as he sees …

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