Reading the works of Alice Walker is nothing short of transformative. When I first began to read her books, I was an awkward and shy 18 year-old; her generous vision of the world and of humanity changed me forever. It really doesn't matter which of her books I pick up to read and reread; the fictional space I enter is vast, hopeful, uplifting, progressive, and nonjudgmental. There is welcoming room for women and men of all sizes, and for all races. Everyone can rewrite their story, revise their life, and regain a connection to others and the greater world.

Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart is a book about two middle-aged lovers, Kate and Yolo, who go on personal journeys (one to the Amazonian jungle and one to lesser-populated Hawaiian island) in order to become closer to themselves, closer to stronger and healthier versions of themselves. Although Kate and Yolo are at a different stage in their lives than I am (even more so when I first read this book in 2004), I can't help when I read this book but want to change my life, too!

Walker's prose is prophetic, often sage-like, and at times I feel I'm reading the reflections of a Buddhist monk or a spiritual shaman. Walker is certainly concerned with the spiritual pulse of the Earth, but she is also concerned with relationships between family members, feminist issues and environmental needs. All of these get addressed over the course of this short novel, and when I finish it, I'm left with this feeling that I should do something more to help the world be a better place. I am a more compassionate human being because of her work.

Alice Walker is a generous writer. Her activist and passionate love for humanity and the Earth is palpable in her prose, and for that hopefulness, I will consider her a personal treasure.