MYSTICISM IN NEWBURYPORT

In this debut memoir, an author explores his epiphanies over seven years.

Beginning with his childhood, Ford presents an intimate account of the struggles of his youth, which bred insecurity and disconnection. Feeling out of place and alienated, he found solace in motorcycles. This led in his teenage years to drug abuse, drinking, and other forms of escapism. But later, Newburyport, Massachusetts, provided the author with an oasis to engage with his consciousness and beat his demons (“This town reminds you of the pictures you see in history books, of early settlements along the river,” where people “flourished because of the easy access to the Atlantic Ocean”). He connected spiritually with his surroundings and searched deeply for inner peace and purpose. Ford beautifully and nostalgically describes the landscape and his time there, showering admiration on the town that steered him toward harmony and fulfillment. On a path to sobriety and recovery through a 12-step program, the author began a journey to healing and bettering himself. Using fasting and meditation to foster feelings of contentment and happiness, he discovered the force of his own spirituality. Many readers should relate to his road from destruction to redemption, and the way that Ford began to view his life as a field of possibilities rather than a dreadful burden. The appealing volume features lovely black-and-white photographs depicting the author’s coming-of-age, friends, and family. A tribute to the healing process, the book reads as a celebration of the hard work and introspection required to arrive at a place of forgiveness and tranquility. In these pages, Ford praises the number 7 and its transformative power in his life. Filled with inspiring, spiritual quotes and guidance from other thinkers, the title is a refreshing entry in the memoir genre, as it resists telling endless anecdotes about a personal experience and instead brings out the true meaning and depth of the author’s odyssey from addiction to serenity.

A successful, soulful, and enjoyable account of recovery, redemption, and reverence for healing.