“What a thrilling spell this book weaves!  Joan Weimer's story about her quest to understand why she - a Jewish skeptic - was suddenly possessed by images of a dark madonna turns into an archetypal story for us all.  In it we advance into our own inner labyrinth and discover the meaning of the true-life mazes that pilgrims have walked since time immemorial.  A shrewd, clear-eyed, brilliant account of one woman's quest to understand the force that took hold of her late in life, and the surprising revelations that she won from her willingness to pursue the mysteries to their source. I read it with tremendous delight.”

Bonnie Friedman, author of Writing Past Dark and The Thief of Happiness

“A true pilgrim understands that you must bring an offering “according to the blessing you have been given.” Joan Weimer offers the blessing of her emotional courage, keen insights, and determined step as she journeys inward, sharing those blessings with us through her passionate and articulate artistry. She takes the reader through the skeptic’s labyrinth, giving us a memorable glimpse of an intimate connection with the Source of Life.”

Rabbi Shefa Gold, Director of CDEEP: Center for Devotional, Energy and Ecstatic Practice, a project of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal

“A dazzling exploration of love between generations and between partners, and a daring intellectual foray by a splendid writer. Seeking to understand the profound attraction of Europe’s Black Madonnas, Joan Weimer travels back to the tangled roots of pagan, Christian and Jewish spirituality. Her journey is both geographic and spiritual, scholarly and sensual, and finally unforgettable.”

Mary Felstiner, Professor of History, San Francisco State University. Author of Out of Joint: A Private and Public History of Arthritis and To Paint Her Life: Charlotte Salomon in the Nazi Era

“A delight to read. Awestruck will appeal to spiritual seekers, both religious and non-religious. Joan Weimer never offers facile answers to the hard questions that arise on her quest to understand the fascination of the Black Madonna and to heal her relationship with her mother. Her direct honesty, her passion for language, her crisp and vivid images engage us so deeply in her journeys, both inner and outer, that the reader’s response is likely to be the same as Weimer’s own--a change of heart.”

Ada Maria Isasi-Díaz, Professor of Christian Ethics and Theology, Drew University. Author of four books including La Lucha Continues: Mujerista Theology.

“Joan Weimer has written a haunted, and hauntingly beautiful, account of a journey toward healing a deep personal mother-wound, finding experiences of the transcendent along the way so compelling as to reach even the skeptic's heart. Some force deeper than her gifted mind propelled her into a personal journey of discovery best summarized by the surrealist Paul Éluard who said, 'There is another world, and it is this one.'”

James Hollis, Executive Director emeritus, The Jung Center of Houston. Author of 10 books including Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life (Penguin).