THE JOURNEY

Nearly 10 years ago, Bays was diagnosed with a basketball-sized tumor in her uterus, which was causing internal bleeding. While her surgeon advised immediate removal, Bays, an alternative health-care worker, persuaded the doctor to allow her to try natural methods to reduce the size of the tumor. Bays, already reasonably well versed in relaxation techniques and homeopathic medicine, immediately sought out various noninvasive treatments including vitamins, a radical change in diet, massage and various other emotional and physical therapies. Miraculously, within a few months, the tumor disappeared. This dramatic recovery motivated Bays to change her life and teach others her healing practices. It was a difficult time for her; her husband of many years announced he was having an affair and eventually married his girlfriend. However, Bays rarely dwells on the negative; when she's angry, she admits it but manages to put her anger toward something productive. Like Deepak Chopra, on whose teaching her method is based, Bays wants people to focus on what she calls "the Journey"—a path, she claims, to freedom and accomplishment that consists primarily of emotional reckoning and relaxation techniques. Bays's optimism will appeal to readers who are weary of traditional treatments that don't relieve emotional or physical hardships. However, other readers will tire of Bays's unmitigated certainty in the rightness of her approach. (Oct. 9)

Forecast:Given the bestseller status of this book in England and Australia, planned publicity and Bays's audience from Journeywork (her international healing workshops), this title should receive lots of attention and word-of-mouth promo.