Judy Croome: Author on the Prowl

As New York attorney Will Alexander discovers, Kalil Gibran spoke wisely when he said “Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that Faith is his twin brother”.

THE RELUCTANT HEALER gently meanders through Will’s growing love for Erica and his struggle with doubt about her unconventional metaphysical beliefs, in general, and about his healing abilities, in particular.

After a series of, to Will, inexplicable events, he reaches the point where he takes a leap of faith – he takes a six month leave of absence from his legal firm to explore his healing abilities. The real world intrudes on Will’s inner journey with betrayal and other challenges that inexorably push him onto a new path – a path that, for all his questions and doubt, show Will as a man of faith who has the capacity to bring spiritual, if not physical, healing to others.

With touches of humour, an easy-to-read style and well-drawn characters, Himmel weaves thought-provoking questions into the tapestry of a very human man reluctantly experiencing the transcendental powers of an inner awakening. Love is the catalyst that pushes Will Alexander out of his comfort zone, but it’s his own innate capacity for an enquiring faith that allows Will to survive the initiate’s journey and embark on the next phase of his spiritual evolution, strengthened by both his deepened concept of love and his unanswered questions.

If you’re a reader who wants a light-hearted book to escape your questions, this is not the book for you. If you’re willing to look beyond the ordinary concepts of faith and healing, there is much in THE RELUCTANT HEALER to engage both your reason and your emotion.