This is a portrait of an African shaman who was kidnapped by Christian missionaries as a child and his subsequent story of escape and self-realization. Author Malidoma Some (a shaman who was later educated in Europe and America) manages to elude his captors and walk back to his family's tribe 100 miles away. From there, Some describes his extraordinary spiritual visions when he undergoes physically challenging shamanistic rituals that last well over a month. This tale of finding a place again within his ancestors' heritage results in an adventurous coming-of-age. This edition is autographed.