The Holy Man

The Holy Man by Susan Trott

The Holy Man lives in a hermitage at the top of a mountain. He has monks or disciples that stay with him and help him keep things running during the summer months. People hear of the Holy Man and make a pilgrimage to see him. The line of people winds on and on all summer long. Many lasting relationships are formed by waiting in line. Sometimes people find their answers from the line before they even reach the Holy Man. Most of the time once one has made it to the front of the line, the door opens, the pilgrim asks to see the Holy Man. They are shown in by an unassuming monk. He leads then through the hermitage. They are shown out the back door and a path leading down the mountain. They are told to treat everyone they meet as if they are holy. Most are seriously disappointed until they consider what they have just been told.
There are also some stories of people the Holy Man does talk to for a little while. We hear about the Alcoholic, the next holy man, the Famous Man, the Angry Man also.
This was a tiny little book. It was a super fast read. I know it had great reviews by some other people. I liked the book okay and I can definitely see that we should treat other people as if they are holy, because everyone is, but I didn't LOVE this book. It didn't feel meaty enough for me.

Rating 3.5
Rating G