- by Anne Finlay-Stewart, Editor

The day of the launch was a perfect metaphor for Marie Knapp's latest book, The Path to a More Inspiring Future.

Set up for an outdoor afternoon of music and refreshments, the rain began to threaten just as the event was about to begin. A decision was made, the windows were opened and the guests reconvened in Marie and Bob's comfortable country home. After local musician Patrick Mullen set the mood with a few songs, Marie introduced the book.

She calls it “a self paced reflective journey to action ” and it is a book for our times. Pandemic, climate change, rising populism – how can we look to the future with hope, prepared for the unexpected?

Quoting Ghandi in the introduction, Marie says we must be that change we want to see in the world, and the book is a tool to start on that path. She speaks of vision and collaboration and uses the journeys of others to inspire her readers.

Marie has no wish to be Pollyanna – she knows there are difficult and unknown challenges ahead. This book is a way of equipping the reader, individually and in community, for that uncertain future.

The book is available at the Ginger Press Bookshop and at Marie's website. An ebook will soon follow.  At the bottom of each page of her site is also a place to subscribe to Inspiring messages, whether or not you have read the book. She wants to interact with her readers on her Facebook page.

“I am looking forward to hearing stories from people about how they are approaching the book,” says Marie. “Is it a personal project or are they getting together with other readers to discuss pieces as they go through it?”

The rain was all over by the time we stepped away from the book launch.  After a week of clear weather forecasts, the afternoon had not been what was planned.  But with collaboration and willingness to change, it had been more than could have been anticipated.