9"Halfway Through the Woods" is a collection of fairy tales that are definitely all fairy but also have the unique quality of being true. The author invites us on his spiritual journey from "coming-out" to now chatting with dead people as a medium. Initially, one might imagine this book to be a memoir, but the author proves that when you are no longer seeking a villain, the reader will be forced to reconsider their own characters living in their forests. Do any of your witches or goblins deserve a second look?For example, in the story "The Circle of Hell that Dante Forgot", he tells the journey of going through intense hazing rituals to join a fraternity. Rather than assailing the men who brutalized him, he used this experience to explore the rituals men create to define what it means to be a man and highlights how being gay was, in some ways, a blessing, because he did not belong to a culture he saw tearing apart the men he came to love. This searing insight required the author to put to rest his own personal suffering in pursuit of a greater truth. Is this book a memoir or a spiritual self-he book? Each reader will need to make that judgment. The author is not standing in front of anyone lecturing on a certain spiritual principle or specific meditation practice. The author is simply sharing his own stories. What you do with them is completely up to you. However, he is inviting us to be a companion into the darkest moments of his life. In return, the reader will witness first-hand the power of a sense of humor equally measured with a compassion extended to every character of his stories. Brian Bowles is creating a new approach to exploring spirituality by not offering a spiritual direction in any way. Rather, he is inviting the reader to see what happens when peace becomes the narrator. How does a story become a radical testament of love? How does loving our perceived enemies become the most powerful way to stand up to oppression and prejudice? Halfway Through the Woods is coming to market at the perfect time because it inspires all of us to offer the compassion and respect we hope to see in the world. That starts with how we tell every story, especially the ones we revisit in our own lives. He is carving trails through new forests where mercy meets grace. If this book has come across your path, trust the guidance that placed it there. Your story will be forever different at the ending of this book. What is possible for a world that chooses to become the love they demand from others? The world would be a different place if we all had the courage to ask that question. "My hurt often told my stories instead of my soul. I have often chosen to become better at whining and convincing the world my backpack was heavier, which never offered the peace it promised." Brian Bowles