A STONE BRIDGE NORTH: Reflections of a New Life

In her mid-50s, writer Maloy moved from Pittsburgh to northern Vermont, leaving behind her "right-angled, urban existence" (a couple of failed marriages and an uninspiring career as a freelance writer). With her son and her new lover, she set out to build a new home and a new life. The "radical simplicity" of rural Vermont, the taciturnity of her mate and closeness with nature's rhythms all helped Maloy focus. A practicing Quaker even before her move, her "Inner Light" became the compass for her journey for meaning. Through the lens of her deeply felt Quaker faith, she examines past loves, failed friendships, child-rearing problems, the delights of her new soul mate and even global issues like democracy and war. And just as Indiana Jones, in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, stepped out over an abyss and was saved by a rock-solid optical illusion of a stone bridge, Maloy trusts her own stone bridge—faith—which "equalizes, connects, provides access." As she concludes, "The more we love, the less we fear," and the "less we fear, the more perfect our freedom becomes, and the more we can extend that freedom to others." Readers unfamiliar with Quaker philosophy and history will find ample explanation here, although the rhetoric can sound preachy at times. Still, Maloy is courageous in her willingness to accept failure and imperfection as part of the process. Her insistence on leading an examined life is powerful, especially in the morally difficult times we now face. (Feb. 1)

Forecast: Maloy may not attract a wide readership, but hand-selling to book buyers with a spiritual quest will be effective.