The Way: A Girl Who Dared to Rise

HAILED BY O, THE OPRAH MAGAZINE, AS “A TITLE TO PICK UP NOW!”

In Kristen Wolf’s audacious and timely fiction debut, an unusual girl in the heart of ancient Palestine escapes her life of oppression—undertakes an epic and dangerous journey—and struggles to accept her remarkable calling as a great spiritual leader.

Deeply emotional, provocative and edge-of-your-seat suspenseful, THE WAY transports readers to an exotic world brimming with mystery, betrayal, passion, unforgettable characters and jaw-dropping plot twists.

“Wow, is all I can say. This novel blew me away!”
—Book Pleasures

“I don’t think I could rave anymore about this book … truly one of a kind.”
—Chick Lit Plus

"This imaginative novel may make you a believer."
—O, The Oprah Magazine

“THE WAY is a daring and passionate debut from an author to watch in the future.”
—Historical Novel Society

“Respelendent writing.”
—Minding Spot

“…page turning and utterly creative.”
—Maria’s Space

Anna is a striking and spirited young girl living in ancient Palestine where being a daughter is a disappointment. While her father excitedly anticipates the birth of his first son, the invisible Anna endures a life of drudgery. One bright spot in her world is the crippled old woman living by the village well who declares that the headstrong girl possesses a powerful destiny. But before the elder can reveal her prophecy an unexpected tragedy strikes Anna's family and her father—dressing Anna as a boy—sells his daughter to a band of wandering shepherds.

Abandoned and armed with only bravery and wits, Anna must learn to survive the harsh desert and unruly men. Yet just when she masters her bold life of disguise, she stumbles upon a den of mysterious caves and is captured by the secret band of women living inside. Unable to escape, Anna soon discovers that the sisterhood’s mystical teachings and miraculous healing abilities have forced her to question everything she’s been told to believe and—to her amazement—unleashed an astonishing power within her.

But when violent enemies opposed to the women's ways threaten to destroy them, Anna vows to save her mentors and preserve their powerful wisdom. Forced again to leave home and loved ones behind, a transformed Anna returns to the world of men—as only she can—determined to unfold a daring and dangerous quest. Her final effort drives toward a gripping climax that pits the new leader against overwhelming forces and puts everything she’s become to the test.

Will she succeed and save all she loves… or be condemned?

Gorgeously written, cinematic in scope and utterly captivating, Anna’s bold journey of courage—and its startling revelations—will thrill and inspire readers everywhere.

PRAISE FOR THE WAY:

"Highly descriptive settings, imaginative plot, and flowing script abound.”
—Literary R & R

“THE WAY challenges you to think beyond what you have learned… to expand your vision."
—Library Girl Reads

“… sure to be a book-club darling.”
—Booklist

“THE WAY is a magical, evocative first novel that I plan to buy a carton of to give to my family and friends. This message of compassion, healing, and respect for women could indeed transform our world.”
—Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., author of A Woman’s Journey to God

“THE WAY took me on a journey...I was surprised in more ways than I ever could have imagined.”
—Javier Sierra, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Supper

"A bold and powerful story...needs to make its way to the reading lists of women everywhere."
—Rainbow Reader

"THE WAY will invoke some deep thinking and soul searching... pick it up.”
—Rhodes Review

KRISTEN WOLF is an author, creative and wondernaut living in the Rocky Mountains. Her debut novel, THE WAY, was hailed by O, The OPRAH Magazine as "A Title to Pick Up Now!" A graduate of Georgetown University, she was nominated to the Phi Beta Kappa honor society and holds an M.A. in creative writing from Hollins University. As a child, Wolf grew up in a heavily forested suburb outside New York City. She credits her family with passing along an avid love and respect for nature-which explains the photos of her posing with an ever-widening array of animals living in their home including stray dogs, cats, guinea pigs, two raccoons, mice, a flock of quail, chickens and a squirrel who lived in her bedroom! Needless to say, hers wasn't the average American upbringing. When she was in middle school, Wolf's family purchased a piece of raw land in upstate New York. From then on, they lived like a regular Swiss Family Robinson every weekend and summer. Rain or shine they cleared land with tractors and chainsaws, built four-rail fences and a barn which they slept in for a period of time. Eventually they began harvesting crops and tending horses, cattle, chickens and pigs. This led to a very unique life for Wolf as she lived like a farmer on the weekends and a student in public school during the week. Growing up, life was a revolving door of diverse events from wrangling cattle for de-worming to waiting in line to see a Broadway show-from bottle feeding a premature foal to writing a thesis on Shakespeare. Maybe it was the diversity of her early life that later led Wolf to pursue a variety of interests including acting and directing in theater, journalism, filmmaking, flying lessons, rock climbing, scuba diving, learning piano, mountain biking, competitive tennis and playing guitar in a rock band (so cliché but true!). Such a life gave Wolf exposure to a wide and eclectic range of people and disciplines, keen powers of observation, a passion for the natural world, unlimited curiosity, a flair for the dramatic and a strong independent streak-very helpful traits, it turns out, for a writer intent on discovering unseen connections and looking beyond the known. Not surprisingly, Wolf's diverse interests and experiences emerge in her fiction-which defies easy classification. The genres of her work range from subversive historical fiction to speculative fiction to fantasy to non-fiction essays. Subject matters range from impassioned composers of the Romantic era to renowned spiritual leaders to ephemeral beings in futuristic realms. Despite the range of genres, what all Wolf's works share in common is: an obsession with exploring beyond the known and accepted; a passion for logical, well-supported speculation; and characters existing outside the norm who possess a desire for belonging. One trait that Wolf admires in other artists is the desire to continually seek more. To be forever roaming into new and unfamiliar territory. Forever risking different styles and even forbidden subjects. Think of musical artists like Prince and Björk, or an author like Jeanette Winterson and how they constantly morphed and evolved themselves and their art form-sometimes radically-in order to pursue and more fully reveal the subject matter at hand. When such a concerted effort spans an entire career, the sheer breadth and variety of creative output always proves provocative and thrilling. Nothing would make Wolf happier than to one day end up with an ultra-diverse body of work that reflects even a small taste of that same thrill. Time will tell. One thing that's for sure, as she strives toward her goal, you'll never know what-or who-she'll endeavor to write about next.