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Summary: Book Description
Review: A deeply personal investigation took China Galland from New Mexico through Nepal, India, Switzerland, France, Yugoslavia, and Poland - places where gods like Tara, the female Buddha of the Tibetan tradition, and the Black Madonna are venerated today. In this fascinating account, Galland vividly describes her journey, which combined tireless research with intrigue, meditation, and sensual experience. "Somewhere in this book you will feel like crying, out of love for something ineffable and hopeful that rises from its pages. Ostensibly a personal search for wisdom and peace, it is also an inquiry into the nature of authority. China Galland offers unexpected and welcome illuminations on both places" --Barry Lopez, author of "Arctic Dreams" and "Crow and Weasel" "Longing for darkness is a wonderful, engrossing, personal, profound, and soulful book" -- Jean Shinola Bolen M.D., author of "Goddesses in Everywoman", and "The Gods in Everyman"
Rating: 
Summary: Kaffeeklatsch with a curious housewife
Review: After following Oprah's Book Club, I came to the sad conclusion that my gender "woman" cannot write. Period! Oprah's book club is a booster for the book printing industry now drowning in an avalanche of incompetent female writers, a disaster for the American culture. She promotes female writers who, due to the lack of brilliance, cannot write themselves safely out of a telephone booth. Though warned, I purchased the above book because the subject of this book has stirred my interest greatly, noticing an ocean of burning candles always at the altar of the black Madonna in the Theatiner cathedral of Munich. I learned that she is a replica of the famous Loreto Madonna of Italy. There are many more black madonnas throughout Europe than encountered in China Galland's path. In kaffeeklatsch style she narrates her trips to other continents in pursuit of the black Madonna and fails her attempt to fit the peaces of her puzzle together to a coherent picture. In her travels she visits Auschwitz-Birkenau and makes politically correct statements which are historically incorrect: "Hitler was popularly elected". Hitler was appointed chancellor by President Hindenburg in 1933. What does this have to do with Longing for Darkness? The author is safest when she quotes (copies) men who have done research on her subject, the origin of the black Madonna throughout history. And only when quoting others does her book gain some merit. I give her a star for being industrious; however, skip this book! I highly recommend for readers interested in this subject "The Cult of the Black Virgin" by Ean Begg.
Rating:
Summary: Kaffeeklatsch with a curious housewife
Review: After following Oprah's Book Club, I came to the sad conclusion that my gender "woman" cannot write. Period! Oprah's book club is a booster for the book printing industry now drowning in an avalanche of incompetent female writers, a disaster for the American culture. She promotes female writers who, due to the lack of brilliance, cannot write themselves safely out of a telephone booth. Though warned, I purchased the above book because the subject of this book has stirred my interest greatly, noticing an ocean of burning candles always at the altar of the black Madonna in the Theatiner cathedral of Munich. I learned that she is a replica of the famous Loreto Madonna of Italy. There are many more black madonnas throughout Europe than encountered in China Galland's path. In kaffeeklatsch style she narrates her trips to other continents in pursuit of the black Madonna and fails her attempt to fit the peaces of her puzzle together to a coherent picture. In her travels she visits Auschwitz-Birkenau and makes politically correct statements which are historically incorrect: "Hitler was popularly elected". Hitler was appointed chancellor by President Hindenburg in 1933. What does this have to do with Longing for Darkness? The author is safest when she quotes (copies) men who have done research on her subject, the origin of the black Madonna throughout history. And only when quoting others does her book gain some merit. I give her a star for being industrious; however, skip this book! I highly recommend for readers interested in this subject "The Cult of the Black Virgin" by Ean Begg.
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Summary: She traveled the earth, in search of inner peace.
Review: China Galland began her pilgrimage at a time of inner turmoil. Alcoholic, a single mother, and addicted to perscription drugs, her story would seem something for us to pity. Actually, we never get the chance to pity her, because of her great strength of character. At one time a devout Catholic, she found that the old ways could not serve to nurture her spirit. She found the bureaucracy of the Church an obstacle, rather than a source of assistance. Its conception of an exclusively male divinity did not nurture her spiritually. Turning to Zen opened a door for her, but she needed a concept of divinity which embraced femininity. A chance meeting changed her life, revealing to her two avenues to investigate: the Tibetan goddess Tara, and the cult of the Black Madonna. Her quest became her new lease on life.
Pursuing information about "The Goddess," with the vigor that Arthur's knights sought the Holy Grail, becomes an epic task. Every sojourn becomes a lesson in humility; her own hardships pale in comparison to the hardships of others, and the strength which they can exhibit. With determination, she seeks answers in Khatmandu, Chestochowa, Medjugorje, and many other places. The intensity of her presence apparently matches the intensity of her writing; people everwhere empathize, and help her. She convinces those in Dharmasala to allow her to speak with the Dalai Lama. In Gdansk, she persuades members of the Solidarity party to allow her to meet with Lech Walesa. She draws everyone into her pilgrimage, especially the reader.
China Galland presents a feminine way of seeing, without pushing a Feminist agenda. Her words have great potency, and will have great meaning for most people, women and men. Although she succeeds in her quest to find spiritual meaning, the emotional weight of what she conveys requires that one read it slowly, in many sittings. When finished, the reader will also feel as if at the end of a long pilgrimage, and likely gain in personal insight.
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Summary: An Indomitable Woman's Spiritual Odyssey
Review: Chna Galland's account of her spiritual odyssey, Longing For Darkness, is absolutely riveting. Her journey from her disappointment in her male-centered Roman Catholic tradition through Buddhism with its strong female Deity,Tara,only to find that feminine spirit inspiring the Black Madonnas of her own faith.By blending the two traditions, Ms.Galland found a spirituality that satisfied her longing for a feminine aspect of God. Her complete honesty about her inner being makes this book unique. Wherever she wanders, she connects with people of deep faith and learns from every tradition. This book is worth your effort.It may start you on your own spiritual journey, as it did for me.
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Summary: An Indomitable Woman's Spiritual Odyssey
Review: I just heard her speak at the New York Open Center on the Black Madonna; she read some passages of this book and her new book, The Bond Between Women. Absolutely incredible! I was extremely moved. If all recovering addicts realized their anger is at the dysfunction man has suffered at the hands of man, and turned that addiction into passion for peace and justice in the world, our world would truly be a better place.
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Summary: Great speaker!!
Review: I just heard her speak at the New York Open Center on the Black Madonna; she read some passages of this book and her new book, The Bond Between Women. Absolutely incredible! I was extremely moved. If all recovering addicts realized their anger is at the dysfunction man has suffered at the hands of man, and turned that addiction into passion for peace and justice in the world, our world would truly be a better place.
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Summary: The True Hero(ine)'s Jouney Told in Her own Words
Review: If you are aware that you are on a personal journey, then it will touch you that China Galland shared hers with us. This book allows the reader to accompany her on this journey that spans more than a decade through many continents and countries on a quest.
China Galland tells us the story of her recovery and reveals herself in a very human, intimate way.
I have never read anything like it. It inspired me as I struggle through some of the most difficult parts of my journey. Sometimes we find that things are the hardest right before we have a breakthrough, when we are on the verge of something. . . Like the expression, "it is always darkest before dawn".
Next, I will re-read Paulo Coehlo's The Alchemist.
This is not for the faint-of-heart, cultureless, or close-minded.
Enjoy!!!
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Summary: Mothering Understanding
Review: Longing For Darkness is a beautiful, thoughtful pilgrimage to and communion with the dark, feminine facets of that which is divine. Within the pages of her book, China Galland bravely explores the depths of forgiveness, faith, devotion, loss, love and longing; a journey spanning the globe and the soul.
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Summary: Tara and the Black Madonna
Review: This book by China Galland has opened my mind to various questions about my own spirituality and about the sources of iconic and archetypal figures in religions. I've become thirsty for more knowledge due to this book, and I don't know whether to be thankful, or not. However, it is deeply involving, dragging one into this journey, this search for self or deeper understanding, under the guise of searching for the Black Madonna archetype in different cultures around the world. As always, the answer is within oneself, but sometimes you can't find that answer without dragging yourself all over heck and creation, as does China Galland. I still don't know if she really has "found" anything, or not, but I think she's gaining a great deal of other kinds of knowledge trying.
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