Title: Descent Into Darkness
Author: Marija Petrovic
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-5434-4775-0
Pages: 54
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit / Inspiration & Growth
Reviewed by: Barbara Miller
Pacific Book Review Star
Awarded to Books of Excellent Merit
In this cross-genre mind-bending book by Marija Petrovic, she takes readers along on her journey of discovery. From San Francisco to South America and back, she is in search of who she is from within. Readers will be captivated by her literary style of candid, thought-provoking honesty and unabashed revelations of her deepest desires. As I read this book I was unable to put it down and now I will re-read it to once again be drawn into her awareness of the understanding of life – from the theological strength gained by faith in God to the satisfaction of knowing who she is and from where she came. Not only the God from Western beliefs, but also the God within ourselves, the God of the ancient cross-cultural shamans, as well as the teachings of good, inherent from deep inside. The book’s title, Descent Into Darkness, becomes the starting point for Petkovic’s assent into the light, as it is not possible to ascend from any level above the bottom, until you reach the bottom. One needs to experience the full range of feelings and emotions in order to appreciate the here and now; the being of one’s self in what is often called the matrix of our existence.
Impeccably written, one learns half way into the book Petrovic is a professional psychiatrist – a very appropriate degree of training for her self-actualizations and awareness to become so well explained. I explicitly felt compassion for her stories of her travels by herself, where she had an indescribable emptiness while doing what should have been totally enjoyable. As she traveled internationally, she felt a disconnection with the other people at the airports and along her trip; only to ultimately find peace when brought to a spirituality event of multiple religious disciplines. This episode sewed the threads of her own dichotomy of faith into an understanding of exactly what she was searching for; revealing to her the ability to see clearly such as when one would understand aspects of life from an out-of-body experience. Much of what I am writing is paraphrasing her poetic words, as I do not want in any way to be a spoiler to her epiphanies, nor a condensed version of her very memorable work of seeking wisdom.
There is so much more to this book than what meets the reader within its 38 pages. Being a short book allows for more time to think for yourself about what she has written rather than having overly explained or repetitious remarks. Descent Into Darkness is a condensed book; the recipe would be to add one part her words on paper and one part your own feelings, ponder for some time to allow this to simmer into a delicacy of life’s purpose – one in which you may think you know already but may not have been exposed to your own understanding without Marija Petrovic turning the key to open your mind. This is an ideal book to bring on your own travels of discovery – whether on a trip traversing continents or from the comfort of your private reading space, it is a voyage of discovery.
