Circles in the Sand

About the Book

A personal memoir of a woman's emotional and spiritual journey - from troubled teenage years in the '70s to spiritual enlightenment in the new millennium. Her soul wounded by her father's incestuous advances toward her, the author travels through several Middle-Eastern countries - an odd choice for a woman on a quest for sexual and self-identity, healing, and escape from her family - particularly her father. Without family support, she struggles to find spiritual wholeness, love of self, and her own truth.

In the war-torn Middle East, she encounters volatile political situations, the constricting laws of different countries and religions, as well as a confusing mix of social and moral behaviours. Throughout her travels, the poverty, terror, and brutal female oppression she often observes heighten her own sense of self-hatred. Meanwhile, her teenage pregnancy, the baby girl she was forced to surrender, and her father's inappropriate actions haunt her memory. Her personal struggles with being gay, as well as denial, rejection, and harsh treatment from her family, further convince her that she is worthless as a woman - and non-existent as a child of God.

But as she looks through the windows of her past, and into worlds many of us will never enter, she slowly begins to understand that her introspective journey has led directly to her soul. And this insight brings her to an acceptance of being gay, to her own belief in spirit, and to a sense of belonging.

For all its raw honesty about many painful subjects-including the rape and execution of women in the Middle East - Circles in the Sand evokes the exotic tastes, sounds, and beauties of Arabia. And it shares with us the poignancy of women engaging together when temporarily apart from men - and briefly freed from their forced restraints.

The author's journey into the light of self-acceptance - from a dark place where her sexuality kept her in chains - will resonate with the many who have struggled with becoming open and comfortable about their homosexuality. Her lifetime quest to have her own voice heard will speak to a wide range of today's women, whose internal struggles for acceptance are the same.

The cycle has not yet been broken, but that time will come, as the young women of today listen to the voices of the past - and discover the wisdom of those women who have already walked a labyrinth of circles in the sand.

About the Author

Edna Whitehouse now goes by her nickname, Samadhi - which means "Being one with the Divine and being in the moment." Each time she hears Samadhi, it reminds her that she is part of love - a continuous affirmation.

Samadhi began her writing career by winning two contests; the first was for Focus On Women, a Victoria-based magazine. Her essay, "Two Hearts In One," spoke of her healing journey through her first heart surgery, and the correlation of illness and forgiveness. Her second essay, "A Gut Reaction," for the on-line magazine, Outback, showed the risks as well as the fun of exotic travel abroad.

At the age of 48, Samadhi decided it was time to dive into her passion and give full-time writing a chance. The outcome is Circles in the Sand. She is currently working on her second book, Separated at Birth.

A writer who has never forgotten what it feels like to be young and to be silenced, SamadhiÕs messages are: Break the cycle of dysfunction. Find your voice - be heard. Take back your own power. Go girls!

After years of travel, including visiting, living, and/or working in Europe, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, India, Egypt, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Thailand, Samadhi now lives in Victoria, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island - surrounded by the ocean and its life force.

Visit the author's webpage at www.samadhiwhitehouse.writerswebpages.com