Every step is home : a spiritual geography from Appalachia to Alaska / Lori Erickson.

Title :

Every step is home : a spiritual geography from Appalachia to Alaska

Author:

Format:

Books

Summary:

"Through her profound, informative, and witty reflections on the power of stone, water, light, fire, and more, readers will discover new destinations in North America while deepening their own connection to the spirit"--

Language:

English

ISBN - ISSN:

9780664268329

0664268323

Physical Description:

211 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

General Note:

Includes book club discussion guide.

Contents:

Prologue: the marching bears of Iowa -- Dirt: El Santuario de Chimay̤ in New Mexico -- Air: The Sandhill Crane migration in Nebraska -- Mounds: The ancient Ohio trail -- Stone: Pipestone National Monument in Minnesota -- Trees: Redwood National and State Parks in California -- Water: The hot springs of Oregon -- Caves: Dunbar Cave in Tennessee -- Animals: The buffalo roundup in South Dakota -- Lights: The Northern Lights in Alaska -- Fire: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park -- Astronomy: Chaco Canyon in New Mexico -- Acknowledgments -- Book club discussion guide -- Notes

Subject:

Christian pilgrims and pilgrimages -- United States.

Tourism -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.

Travel -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.

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Every step is home : a spiritual geography from Appalachia to Alaska / Lori Erickson.

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Summary

A 2023 Indies Award Finalist

"In this book, Erickson's steps don't lead to grand cathedrals but to the transformative, powerful elements supporting life itself. " -- Foreword Reviews

"Travel writer Erickson has written a travelogue about areas of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, that have sacred and spiritual meaning to people now and throughout history . . . Ideal for fans of Erickson's work, curious readers, armchair travelers, and those who are compelled to take a spiritual pilgrimage." -- Library Journal

Embark on a transformative journey from Ohio's Serpent Mound to Hawaii's wonders, discovering profound connections to spirituality in every corner of the United States.

Globetrotting travel writer Lori Erickson has long searched for the sacred in locations and cultures far from home as well as in her beloved Iowa. But when the pandemic put both air travel and in-person worship off-limits, Lori and her husband hit the road with a camper in tow to discover spiritual sites and experiences in their own home country.

From the Serpent Mound of Ohio to the Redwoods of California--and, ultimately, by air to see natural wonders in Alaska and Hawaii--Erickson uncovers deep connections both to the lands that now make up the United States and to the elements that have had sacred meaning to people throughout history and across the globe. Through her profound, informative, and witty reflections on the power of stone, water, light, fire, and more, readers will discover new destinations in North America while deepening their own spirituality. Whether exploring national parks or visiting holy sites, this book makes for the perfect spiritual companion and guide.

Perfect for book clubs and group study! You can access free digital resources, which include a group study guide, book club discussion guide, a video interview with Lori Erickson, and a Spotify playlist from Lori at www.wjkbooks.com/EveryStepIsHome

Author Notes

Lori Erickson is an American author who grew up in Iowa. She has a B. A. in English from Luther College and an M.A. in English from the University of Iowa. She writes about various subjects. But her focus is on spirituality and travel. Her work has been published in national and regional publications such as National Geographic Traveler, Woman's Day, Family Circle, Better Homes & Gardens, and House Beautiful. Her website, Spiritual Travels, lists the holy places of many faith traditions. She has an award-winning blog, Holy Rover, that describes various spiritual sites. She also leads workshops and gives presentations.

Her work includes The Mighty Mississippi: A Traveler's Guide, Sweet Corn and Sushi, The Joy of Pilgrimage, Iowa: Off the Beaten Path, and her memoir, Holy Rover: Journeys in Search of Mystery, Miracles, and God.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (2)

Booklist Review

Travel writer Erickson's journey across America in search of 11 spiritual sites could also be called a pilgrimage. Each site represents something elemental, from the traditional four--earth, water, fire, air--to seven of Erickson's own: stone, animals, trees, caves, mounds, lights, and astronomy. The personal essays inspired by these elements bring history, background, and context to the author's examinations. She begins her journey with earth, in New Mexico's El Santuario de Chimayo--"America's Lourdes"--where dirt, not water, is sacred, promising miraculous healing. As for water, she finds it in the hot springs of Oregon, which evoke the rite of baptism. Air is represented by the staggering migration each year of some 600,000 sandhill cranes along the Platte River in Nebraska, birds that Erickson likens to angels. In sum, Erickson, who is always good company, contends that humans are designed to move, and her highly readable, thought-provoking pilgrimage is proof positive of that elemental fact. The peripatetic will rejoice.

Library Journal Review

Travel writer Erickson has written a travelogue about areas of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, that have sacred and spiritual meaning to people now and throughout history. The author's journeys, taken with her husband and mostly via camper during the start of the COVID lockdown, focus on the transformative power of land, air, water, landmarks, and animal migrations and roundups. They visited such sites as the Mounds of Ohio, archaeological wonders that are burial grounds of the Indigenous Adena and Hopewell peoples, and they witnessed Nebraska's Sandhill Crane migration that takes place every year from mid- or late February to mid-April. Most of the 11 sites they visited are prefaced with one black-and-white photograph, just as the author did in her previous book, The Soul of the Family Tree. Erickson compares each locale to other sacred lands and surrounding beliefs held around the world. The book's research incorporates comprehensive details about the history, geography, and interpretations of each area's spiritual meaning and significance rooted in nature. VERDICT Ideal for fans of Erickson's work, curious readers, armchair travelers, and those who are compelled to take a spiritual pilgrimage.--Charlyn Lyons