Hypnotizing Maria

June 15, 2009
Richard Bach, the author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull,
is back with another inspirational allegory; his son James's story is more down to earth, literally and metaphorically.
Hypnotizing Maria
Richard Bach
. Hampton Roads
, $18.95 (160p) ISBN 978-1-57174-623-8

The hero of Bach's new book, pilot and flight instructor Jamie Forbes, is on a routine run when Maria, the panicked spouse of another pilot, radios that her husband has collapsed at the controls. Forbes talks her through the steps to land safely. Maria's explanation to reporters that Forbes “hypnotized” her sparks a series of memories for Jamie, and the events that follow force him to examine what constitutes reality, to contemplate what lies beyond the edges of our carefully constructed worlds and whether those edges are real or created by our own limitations. While it mines the same territory as The Secret
, Bach's book is far richer, raising provocative questions and striking the perfect balance, providing answers without implying that they are the only—or necessarily the right—ones.