The Monks and Me

The Monks and Me: How 40 Days in Thich Nhat Hanh's French Monastery Guided Me Home by Mary Paterson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Monks and Me gave me the intimacy I wanted with the monk Thich Nhat Hanh while also giving me insight into a woman's mindset as she struggles to find herself within the construct of one of the best known monasteries in the world. I received what I wanted from the story, and then some.

Paterson's voice is a bit sardonic, a little rough around the edges, and honest. She never shies away from her own faults and offers the reader an unvarnished view inside her foibles. She is a woman searching for her self and we are on that journey with her 100%.

Her writing is pithy and her scenes are interesting. In each of her chapters, there is a bit of a lesson on human dignity and self-respect. She questions herself, and in her questioning, she makes the reader do a bit of internal dialogue, as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, Paterson's writing, and learning more about Thay. The organization of the story in bits and pieces was a smart one, and it left me wanting more. That's a good thing.



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