In this spiritual detective story, Shapiro explores the varieties of experience she has pursued--from the rituals of her black hat Orthodox Jewish relatives to yoga "shalas" and meditation retreats--and the surprisingly joyful quest she undertook to find meaning in a constantly changing world.

Examines the process of creative writing and storytelling through the author's personal stories and experiences of living a writer's life and offers lessons and insights to aspiring authors.

"At twenty-three, Dani Shapiro was in the midst of a major rebellion against her religious upbringing. She had dropped out of college, was half-heartedly acting in television commercials, and was carrying on with an older married man when her life was changed, in an instant, by a phone call. Her parents had been in a devastating car accident. Neither was expected to survive. In her first memoir, Shapiro offers this powerful true story of a life turned...