"

""This is Zen and the Art of Donkey Walking. I cannot imagine a more charming, informative, or restful book."" -- Jim Crace, author of Being Dead and The Pesthouse

""Can a donkey be a philosopher? Merrifield believes so and, with this modest, lovely little book, makes us believe so, too."" -- Booklist

A walk in the French countryside with a donkey inspires this literary ode to peace, presence, and fulfillment. In this enchanting book, Andrew Merrifield sets out on a journey of the soul with a friend's donkey, through the crumbling ruins and spectacular vistas of southern France's Haute-Auvergne. Along the way the understated nobility of Gribouille, his humble donkey companion, allows him to confront himself as well as to consider the larger mysteries of life. As Merrifield contemplates literature, science, truth, beauty, and the universality of nature amid the French countryside, Gribouille surprises him with his subtle wisdom, reminding him time and again that enlightenment is all around us if we but seek it. Traveling with Merrifield and Gribouille, we're reminded of the exquisite benefits of nature, passive adventuring, and wild spaces.

"