The Retreat

Carol Kortsch weaves the complex story of the weekend retreat journey of Mei, Sam, Raquel, and a cast of characters from diverse backgrounds who join together with the purpose to reconnect who they are with the work they do in the world. The story is evocatively set in a former Benedictine monastery, and is narrated by the mysterious plural voice of the ancient wisdom of a garden sanctuary. Charles the cook, a former novice who left the church, stirs up an archetypal witnessing presence from the abundance of his kitchen. The reader is drawn to become an engaged participant in an inner journey, finding a seat amidst a circle of rather ordinary people, and like them to search for that "hidden wholeness" in surprisingly creative ways. The novel crafts an honest tale of the dedicated yet vulnerable leadership of Thena and Dylan, of their struggle to be authentic while also offering a safe communal place for others to be the same. Everyone eventually decides if this is "The Retreat" worth taking.