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The Awakening of Russell Henderson: A journey of failure, depression, self discovery, and love.
When Chicago investment-banker Russell Henderson, newly divorced and suffering from depression, makes a spur-of-the-moment to go on a camping trip to explore the western United States, he steps outside his usual safe and reserved mode of operation which opens up a wealth of new and challenging possibilities.
Somewhere in Iowa, he picks up a woman hitchhiker, who challenges everything in which he believes which sets off a chain of events that involve a Native American sweat lodge, a Tibetan Retreat Center, music, and a road trip through a stunning area of the country.
His relationship with the woman becomes more complex, and deep self-reflection eventually leads him to step outside his comfort zone and the confines of his strict upbringing and discover who he truly is.
Part road trip, part romance, and fully visionary, this is a delightful story that both inspires and entertains.
Somewhere in Iowa, he picks up a woman hitchhiker, who challenges everything in which he believes which sets off a chain of events that involve a Native American sweat lodge, a Tibetan Retreat Center, music, and a road trip through a stunning area of the country.
His relationship with the woman becomes more complex, and deep self-reflection eventually leads him to step outside his comfort zone and the confines of his strict upbringing and discover who he truly is.
Part road trip, part romance, and fully visionary, this is a delightful story that both inspires and entertains.
- GenresFiction
275 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 27, 2018
6 people are currently reading
541 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 9, 2020
Wow this story gave me all the feels. This reads like a memoir and can be anyone’s story! Russell got a second chance to explore & be spontaneous after his divorce, a true awakening! Thanks for the journey, this is an easy, funny, & entertaining read! Thanks to the author for an ebook copy of this Goodreads giveaway. This is my honest review.
March 19, 2019
Great Story
Loved this journey with Russell and Hanna and learning about Buddhism. I knew nothing about it before. A great adventure with great characters.
Loved this journey with Russell and Hanna and learning about Buddhism. I knew nothing about it before. A great adventure with great characters.
March 19, 2019
This review is for The Awakening of Russell Henderson, By Ed Lehner. Published by Aia Publishing. I would consider it a fictional, contemporary romance. The book length is 338 pages. The publication date is November 22, 2018.
*** I received a kindle version of this book from a giveaway on Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. ***
I give this book a 4/5 Star rating.
What kind of fiction story receives a 4-star rating from me:
1. The story is well written and enjoyable but there was just something missing that kept it from being a 5-star book. I picked it up during lulls in my day.
2. I might have read similar stories but was still able to enjoy this one.
3. The plot of the story and character development are well thought out.
4. I would be interested in reading more work by this author.
5. I will recommend this to others that enjoy this genre.
Key thoughts:
I enjoyed this story. I found the “spiritual” journey very enlightening. The growth of the protagonist during his travels was really well done.
Review:
This is the story of a man, who following an “out of the blue” divorce, finds himself in a deep depression. Going home to his family does not help, and in a spur of the moment decision he buys a camping van and sets off to see the west. While there are moments that really bring home the message of growth and had deep insight, like visiting a reservation and experiencing a sweat or the understanding through learning about meditation; there are also some moments that were just too far-fetched and bothered me by how they were written. In an example, for being a man in his thirty’s to never have had Mexican food or hear a woman cuss would fit better with an off the grid family life, not someone who has gone to university, received an MBA, and has lived in Chicago. There are several of these types of “firsts” for Russell that really drove me crazy while reading this book.
Hanna is an interesting character. She has great advice to give, but has her own issues that she is is still learning how to deal with. She provides a steady hand when things get rough for Russell. The growth of their affection was quirky but nice. It wasn't heavy on romance but had a slow build that kept things interesting. Her home life with her family is so much different from how Russell’s family behaved that it really opened his eyes about how sheltered his upbringing was. The twist at the end was interesting but almost went too fast after the pace of the rest of the story. All in all, it was a good book and a good, quick read.
I hope you will check out this book and that you enjoy reading this story as much as I did.
After you read it, visit my blog at https://djchristensen74.wixsite.com/d... and let me know what you think!
*** I received a kindle version of this book from a giveaway on Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. ***
I give this book a 4/5 Star rating.
What kind of fiction story receives a 4-star rating from me:
1. The story is well written and enjoyable but there was just something missing that kept it from being a 5-star book. I picked it up during lulls in my day.
2. I might have read similar stories but was still able to enjoy this one.
3. The plot of the story and character development are well thought out.
4. I would be interested in reading more work by this author.
5. I will recommend this to others that enjoy this genre.
Key thoughts:
I enjoyed this story. I found the “spiritual” journey very enlightening. The growth of the protagonist during his travels was really well done.
Review:
This is the story of a man, who following an “out of the blue” divorce, finds himself in a deep depression. Going home to his family does not help, and in a spur of the moment decision he buys a camping van and sets off to see the west. While there are moments that really bring home the message of growth and had deep insight, like visiting a reservation and experiencing a sweat or the understanding through learning about meditation; there are also some moments that were just too far-fetched and bothered me by how they were written. In an example, for being a man in his thirty’s to never have had Mexican food or hear a woman cuss would fit better with an off the grid family life, not someone who has gone to university, received an MBA, and has lived in Chicago. There are several of these types of “firsts” for Russell that really drove me crazy while reading this book.
Hanna is an interesting character. She has great advice to give, but has her own issues that she is is still learning how to deal with. She provides a steady hand when things get rough for Russell. The growth of their affection was quirky but nice. It wasn't heavy on romance but had a slow build that kept things interesting. Her home life with her family is so much different from how Russell’s family behaved that it really opened his eyes about how sheltered his upbringing was. The twist at the end was interesting but almost went too fast after the pace of the rest of the story. All in all, it was a good book and a good, quick read.
I hope you will check out this book and that you enjoy reading this story as much as I did.
After you read it, visit my blog at https://djchristensen74.wixsite.com/d... and let me know what you think!
March 27, 2022
What starts out as a 30 something trying to find himself quickly turns into criticism of most (if not all) mainstream belief systems. Russell is just your average 30 year old investment banker whose wife leaves him for another woman and decides to take his $7M savings and buys an old camper and takes off west out of Iowa to get away from it all. He quickly picks up a young female hitchhiker and the adventure begins.
Fast forward to the end, and Russell determines that constant sex outside marriage, constant drinking and drug use and lack of commitment to helping anyone outside his small circle is a superior way of life.
I have read a number of these books where someone takes off by him/herself to find him/herself. Sadly, almost all of these books end up with the main character seemingly finding a shallow happiness. This book is no different, although even more so.
The author also can't seem to decide how to spell names. Is it Hanna or Hannah? Cassie or Cassy? Shelley or Shelly? At one point Russell's father (Earl) is called Roy ( a bartender who lives thousands of miles away.
Fast forward to the end, and Russell determines that constant sex outside marriage, constant drinking and drug use and lack of commitment to helping anyone outside his small circle is a superior way of life.
I have read a number of these books where someone takes off by him/herself to find him/herself. Sadly, almost all of these books end up with the main character seemingly finding a shallow happiness. This book is no different, although even more so.
The author also can't seem to decide how to spell names. Is it Hanna or Hannah? Cassie or Cassy? Shelley or Shelly? At one point Russell's father (Earl) is called Roy ( a bartender who lives thousands of miles away.
April 8, 2020
This is a pleasant story of a young man awakening to a repressive and unfulfilling life after an abrupt divorce and taking off to discover himself. Encouraged by a free spirited young woman he picks up on his trip, he experiences adventures and people that make him realize he has been living a life contrived for others rather than seeking his own contentment. His adventures are a bit extreme and sometimes come across as awfully idealistic but there is a nice message of living to achieve the best of ones self worth without prejudice or judgement. There's a nice ending with a family reconciliation that adds to positive message. I also really enjoyed the descriptive road trip ... certainly made me want to visit those places myself.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.
May 4, 2020
All's well that ends well
I was attracted to read this book by the clever cover art, but found this to be a very basic and not very interesting story of one person's change of life. He glosses over what could have been an intriguing cause-and-effect of his dysfunctional family, and lacks delving into other emotional moments, like his divorce. It may be that telling the reader he drank a lot was a substitute for telling us he was wracked with grief, emptiness, and disorientation. But as a life-long reader of well-known prize-winning authors this book does not hold to biographical standards except that the author did write about himself. What makes a good read - how a book is written and with what artistry - is missing. That leaves the reader with a nearly constant sense of emptiness and superficiality.
I was attracted to read this book by the clever cover art, but found this to be a very basic and not very interesting story of one person's change of life. He glosses over what could have been an intriguing cause-and-effect of his dysfunctional family, and lacks delving into other emotional moments, like his divorce. It may be that telling the reader he drank a lot was a substitute for telling us he was wracked with grief, emptiness, and disorientation. But as a life-long reader of well-known prize-winning authors this book does not hold to biographical standards except that the author did write about himself. What makes a good read - how a book is written and with what artistry - is missing. That leaves the reader with a nearly constant sense of emptiness and superficiality.
March 7, 2019
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest unbiased review.
What a great read! I seriously would not have thought this was a fictional story. Everything seemed so real. I actually had to research if this was a fictional story or not. It kept me engaged, and was really glad I had the opportunity to read this. I enjoyed the characters, they felt like people I know in real life. There were some truly special moments wrapped up in there like the "sweat".
There were a few times I felt the extra details (of measurements of say Mt. Rushmore, or how long it took to build i.e. the nitty gritty details / history lesson, how long it took to get somewhere) could have been omitted as they detracted from the story. The descriptions of everything was spot on and made it easy to understand.
Change is hard for most everyone, myself included, and the situations and depression Russell goes through are very relatable. I can't wait to see what other books the author has up his sleeve for the future. Well done Sir!
What a great read! I seriously would not have thought this was a fictional story. Everything seemed so real. I actually had to research if this was a fictional story or not. It kept me engaged, and was really glad I had the opportunity to read this. I enjoyed the characters, they felt like people I know in real life. There were some truly special moments wrapped up in there like the "sweat".
There were a few times I felt the extra details (of measurements of say Mt. Rushmore, or how long it took to build i.e. the nitty gritty details / history lesson, how long it took to get somewhere) could have been omitted as they detracted from the story. The descriptions of everything was spot on and made it easy to understand.
Change is hard for most everyone, myself included, and the situations and depression Russell goes through are very relatable. I can't wait to see what other books the author has up his sleeve for the future. Well done Sir!
February 19, 2019
Fantastic book!
This was an incredible story! It's hard to break away from how you were raised and what you believe. Change is difficult, and the struggles and fears that Russell dealt with are ones that we can all relate to.
This was an incredible story! It's hard to break away from how you were raised and what you believe. Change is difficult, and the struggles and fears that Russell dealt with are ones that we can all relate to.
April 8, 2019
This was the first book I have read just for fun in a long time, and it was so much fun! It was hard to put down. Once I got into the story I was tempted to go buy a van and head out on the open road without looking back.
March 31, 2020
You know what. I felt like I found myself through this story. As Russ opened up and did 360, so did I. I’m still kind of speechless. All I can really say is that this is a book that needs to be on the 20 books to read before you die list.
February 10, 2019
Kept my interest throughout
May 2, 2020
I enjoyed this book. I primarily enjoyed the travels and trails. It was kind of like “Eat, Pray, Love,” but not as annoying.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews