"The Kin of Ata are Waiting for You" by Dorothy Bryant

The Kin of Ata are Waiting for You is the book my Sci-Fi and Fantasy bookclub chose for the month of January. I'd never heard of the book or the writer and seeing as it was published in 1971 I was a bit apprehensive going in. Most of the western Sci-Fi books published in the 60s and 70s do not appeal to me for whatever reason. Not so with Dorothy Bryant's book. I absolutely loved it and definitely want to read more of her work.

It is hard to describe the plot of this book. It is much better to just read it. At only 220 pages it is compulsively readable, but also quite profound in its message. Our main character is a successful crime fiction writer who lives his life in utter dissipation until one day he kills the woman he sleeps with in a fit of anger. Determined to fool the police he flees the house in his car only to get into a horrible accident. And this is when the main story begins. Our nameless narrator wakes up in a strange place surrounded by strange people who speak the language he does not understand. So begins one of the most profound spiritual journeys I have ever read a fictional account of.

One of the main reasons I really like this book is because Bryant is not afraid to take her character on this journey of spiritual self-discovery. Modern authors tend to shun anything remotely religious in nature. Not so in this novel. Bryant's character goes through tremendous spiritual transformation and growth. The book also presents the reader with the view that all religions are basically only dim echos and feeble attempts at describing the universal Truth that is the foundation of all life and meaning. I highly recommend this book. 5 out of 5 stars. I am definitely interested in reading more of Bryant's work.