Tales of the Hermit

    (Via Media, 2001)
™ and © 2004 Futuro Designs & Publications, Oscar Ratti, and Adele Westbrook

Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook combine their experiences with medieval philosophy (both Western and Eastern) to form a multi–volume meditative study on how to approach life. Sometime in the Middle Ages, scholar and explorer Père Dominic traveled from his birthplace in Ireland through Europe, Central Asia, and China to arrive at the “sunrise lands” of the Island Empire.

When a wave of xenophobia sweeps through the islands he is forced to flee into the mountains, and at the point of death he is rescued by the residents of a monastic community high amidst the peaks. As part of his recovery from physical and mental exhaustion, Dominic reads through some of the many scrolls left at the haven by previous visitors.

Each scroll tells a brief parable, and afterwards the reader and the “Residents” around him discuss its implications. The works are geared toward those exploring martial arts philosophies but are still accessible to all; the ink–brush drawings by Westbrook are evocative of Asian art without overtly aping it.

— Joe Trela
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#3 (Hardcover Edition)


Cover Price: $29.95
1 copy available for $24.00 		Adele Westbrook, Oscar Ratti