Winter Break - a novel by Astrid Fitzgerald is the recipient of the Mom's Choice Award

Deep in the snows of the Swiss Alps during her winter break, young Caroline Stillhart enters a mysterious world in which a master teacher, a woman of wisdom and insight, reveals to her the true nature of human existence and the universe. Caroline experiences an awakening of heart, mind and consciousness as she meets the love of her life and with new-found understanding encounters a series of challenges and surprising adventures. Winter Break is a fast-paced novel that also provides thoughtful and reflective guidance for a self-reliant, useful and happy life.

Review

Finally, a novel that not only offers an exciting plot line, an endearing heroine, and human relationships that are believable and sympathetic but also introduces a continuous thread of spiritual teaching that informs and advances the plot - a teaching about love, compassion and healing. Through the author's deft writing we watch the characters grow and change within the light of Caroline's mystical experience. Anyone at any age will enjoy this story because it is essentially about who we are and the joy of discovering our true identity. At the same time the author captures the enthusiasm and idealism of youth, without which our world could not evolve. – Lyla Yastion, author of Pause Now: Handbook for a Spiritual Revolution.

From the Back Cover

"Winter Break, on one level, is a classic coming-of-age story. The heroine undergoes a series of trials which form her character. But Fitzgerald sets the bar higher, moving from the ethical to the metaphysical. Her novel investigates a much-neglected facet of adolescence - an appetite for the spiritual and an openness to it. Fast-paced, suspenseful and inspiring, Winter Break is the perfect mix of entertainment and instruction." – Ann Arensberg, author of Incubus and Sister Wolf

"This book is written in such a way that each scene becomes memorable - the stunning descriptions of the snowy slopes of Switzerland, a love story sensitively told, and clear spiritual insights. Winter Break is a pleasure to read and a reminder that there is a way of living and being open to young people that is not only different from what is often practiced but is also life-enhancing and ultimately joyful." – Katharine Le Mée, author of Chant: The Origins, Form, Practice, and Healing Power of Gregorian Chant and The Benedictine Gift to Music

"Winter Break is a captivating, mystical tale that will appeal to readers of all ages. Fitzgerald deftly makes even the most sophisticated spiritual mysteries accessible to seekers of every level. But if what you're seeking is simply a great story, you've found it! A delight! – Deborah Medenbach, writer/yoga teacher

About the Author
ASTRID FITZGERALD is a fine artist, a writer, and a passionate student of the Perennial Wisdom Tradition and Advaita Philosophy who has applied its principles to her life and art for over forty years. She is the author of An Artist's Book of Inspiration: A Collection of Thoughts on Art, Artists and Creativity (Lindisfarne Books, 1996) and Being Consciousness Bliss: A Seeker's Guide (Lindisfarne Books, 2001). Fitzgerald's writing is based on a fusion of Western and Eastern thought and practice of self-development, self-inquiry and reflection.

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