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Sustenance Patrick is given a message from the I Ching about freeing himself from fate. So he takes a new job, working with unemployed youth. His search for sustenance brings trouble, but also wisdom and love. Paperback, 233 pages, 22.9cm x 15.2cm. Published by G.P. Martin. Published July 2011. ISBN 978 1 257 05890 7 $AU24.95 + postage
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Book description
Patrick begins under a cloud of gloom, rejected by his girlfriend and unsure of his occupation. But an encounter with an old Chinese man gives him a message of hope – his fate is his to create if he is willing to let go of things as they are. So he begins again elsewhere, finding a job working with unemployed youth. But the simple search for sustenance can lead into vexing terrain. How will he relate to the sadness, anger and disillusionment of the young people? How will he respond to the sexuality of a co-worker? And how will he deal with the people on the management committee – the self-serving, the brutal, the scheming and the inept?
The gift the old man gave him, the I Ching, stands by him as he strives to establish peace and purpose in his work, and find a woman who will love him. Amid the chaos, he learns:
I am not the master of the universe
but I come from bliss
and that way I serve all-that-is.
Reviews and reactions
Sustenance is an excellent novel, portraying the life journeys of many varied and interesting people. It is a wide-ranging narrative, set within a colourful landscape of human endeavours and life experiences. It also offers valuable teachings, reflections and commentary – on life in a rural town, ethics, professional development and the striving for positive outcomes. The gift of the I Ching is shared for the benefit of all. Sustenance is a novel which will delight.
– Wayne Bleakley