When Andy Merrifield made his first trip to America aged ten, he vowed that one day he would leave his native Liverpool and live in New York City. He eventually got there, but the dream quickly turned sour. In 2003, weary of city life, he left for Southern France and embarked upon a journey of the soul, to walk amid the ruins and spectacular vistas of the Auvergne.
This book is the story of that slow pilgrimage, on which his only companion is a donkey, Gribouille (Scribble), a tender and intelligent beast with soft, thick fur on his brow and calm, dark eyes. Following in the footsteps of Robert Louis Stevenson, and his donkey Modestine, some 130 years after they originally trekked through the same region, Merrifield begins to confront himself, as well as the larger mysteries of existence. He marvels at his tranquil surroundings, the universality of nature, and revels in the oddities of French rural life, all the while musing on the virtues of his humble companion, and indeed donkeys throughout history.
The Wisdom of Donkeys reminds us that observing, being mindful and being present in the moment are essential to a fulfilled life. It teaches us that enlightenment is all around us if we only take the time to see it.
