Here I Am: A Novel by J.R. McCabe is a captivating story that will appeal to fans of New Age spirituality and anyone who loves a well-crafted story. Juliet is a strong personality in the news industry, but she’s someone who has had her share of pain when it comes to relationships. Having suffered a breakup publicly, it has taken her a lot of time to get back into the dating scene, thanks to her real estate agent who proposes a blind date for her. Her date is Tzvi, an Israeli business tycoon and surfer. She notices that Tzvi is not like the ordinary businessmen in the city and that he belongs to an underground, powerful mystical group. Her love interest quickly introduces her to the ancient teachings just referred to as The Work, and in a short time of studying and applying the teachings, she starts experiencing incredible changes and transformations in her life. Can she be lured back into the hectic, fast-paced business environment that has been her adult life?

Few books have the powerful effect that Here I Am had on me. It is the kind of effect you get after reading Paulo Coelho’s books and The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. It’s a spiritual classic and the author has woven a powerful spiritual message into the story. The spiritual exercises the protagonist practises are designed to allow followers to learn to detach from things that impede their personal growth and sense of fulfilment while growing in their awareness. The writing is beautiful and insightful. There are many moving statements to reflect on such as when the narrator says: “I have come to believe that the beginning of something new starts when you are no longer clinging to the moment that has just passed, because it is simply no longer there for you to cling to.” The story works well in the first person narrative and I enjoyed the compelling dialogues. But what makes this story an excellent read is the depth of insight it has and the message it conveys. J.R. McCabe just won my heart as a great author.

Here I Am: A Novel by J.R. McCabe is a novel like no other, sprinkled with wisdom and powerful spiritual gems. The reader is introduced to a twenty-something-year-old woman who, after a painful breakup, musters up the courage to reenter the dating game again by accepting a proposed blind date. But what ensues is a spiritual journey because when Juliet gets to know Tzvi, she quickly discovers that the Israeli businessman isn’t like others. In fact, he belongs to a powerful and secret spiritual group that follows The Work, a series of ancient spiritual exercises. He initiates Juliet into The Work and she undertakes a journey that will transform her life in incredible ways. After six months of practice, she starts getting incredible results with the powerful energy she attracts and the refined people that find their way into her life. Will life ever be the same again for her?

Few are the books that delight readers with their plots and enlighten them with their messages and J.R. McCabe’s Here I Am: A Novel falls into this category. The author teaches readers that there is more to life outside the fast-paced corporate and competitive business environment. The protagonist’s journey is a powerful call to readers to consider what they think is most important to them, to learn to detach themselves, and to be able to look at reality from a unique angle. There is a spiritual energy that runs through the narrative and it rubs off on the reader. The writing is great and filled with manifold insights and wisdom. It’s a very inspiring and deeply moving story.