The Barn at the End of the World: The Apprenticeship of a Quaker, Buddhist Shepherd [B0130]

2001 PB. O'Reilley, a Quaker raised as a Catholic, embarks on a year working on a sheep farm and visiting a Buddhist monastery in France - and discovers that transcendence can come in many forms. A year tending sheep seemed a way to seek a spirituality based not on "climbing out of the body" but rather on existing fully in the world, at least if she could overlook some of its earthier aspects. The Barn at the End of the World follows O'Reilley in her sometimes funny, sometimes moving quest. Though small in stature, she learns to "flip" very large sheep and help them lamb. She also visits a Buddhist monastery in France, where she studies the practice of Mahayana Buddhism, dividing her spare time between meditation and dreaming of French pastries.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Beautifully written, Mary O'Reilley speaks to many of my own spiritual struggles. The book is deep, intimate , yet very accessible. She is very funny when she writes about her animal husbandry skills and experiences. As a part time shepherdess myself I identified with her aggravation and compassion for her animals. I took a long time to read this book because there was much I wanted to ponder."; "I read this book slowly, only reading it before bed. It was perfect for settling in to sleep. That doesn't mean it was boring, but rather that it was thoughtful and quieting. For me it started slowly, and I almost decided not to finish it, but I am glad I did, and I'll miss having her as my bedside sage."