The Silken Thread: an Inner Journey through Central Asia

At forty-four, Elizabeth Burns can't rid herself of the notion that she will never find contentment or be deserving of love until she has achieved something important. Alone, speaking no Russian, and with the idea of writing a book, she sets out from Moscow by train for the former Soviet republics of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The decision to make the trip, however, turns out to be more than an attempt to have a career of consequence; it becomes the catalyst for her complete transformation. Feeling like her insecure fourteen-year-old self, Burns must confront the dark sides of her nature - her struggles with depression and fear of failure. She candidly shares her journey of discovery that contentment and the ability to love and be loved come from within.