Return to One is an e-book from Cathy Preston. It is one of the most insightful novels I have read on the spiritual path I am on. I posted a review at return-to-one.com in 2006 when the book was first made available, and I thought I would repost a revised review here for those who have not come across her site. The e-book costs £8 and is available to download from return-to-one.com.

Preface from the site:

Return to One is an allegory chronicling the journey from duality to oneness, from separation and splintering to wholeness and connectivity. It incorporates both our individual paths and the breaking and making of humanity as a whole. It will seem familiar and recognisable, exploring those questions we all seek to understand; yet take you through places you may not have expected to go. This book will appeal to all age groups, can be read on many levels, and weaves fiction and reality together in an enjoyable exploration of our spirituality, humanity and what unites us as one.

Cathy has a talent for communicating the essential elements of the deeper flow and purpose to life that other non-fictional writers cannot begin to accomplish. There is an awareness that shines through her writing and penetrates archetypal issues the individual person is faced with. These themes bring up philosophical questions that come across both natural and comfortable as Misha realizes the path ahead of her.

Return to One explores that essence of raw human being-ness that embroils experiences one cannot explain with the rational mind. Even though those peak experiences of Truth tend to be such a rare gem for the modern individual, Cathy brings no mood of lacking to her words. The novel has an abundant aura of storytelling intertwined into it that sets both the main characters and the reader on a path of inward exploration.

The book presents issues related to consciousness and union that are seldom found in other books. Return to One is nearest in genre to books such as The Alchemist, but even then it stands on unique ground as it brings a fundamental understanding of wisdom, truth, and ultimate union into a world that lacks it.