From the back cover

At forty-three years old, Laurie Jacobson found herself trapped in a painful marriage and thought her life was over. The man she once loved and admired had devolved into a cruel, emotionally abusive husband who embraced anti-Semitic rhetoric. To make matters worse, she happened to be Jewish.

Isolated in a ramshackle farmhouse in the rural Pennsylvania mountains and desperate to escape her misery, Laurie decides to attend a weeklong silent retreat at a Buddhist monastery. The Buddha’s path promised an end to suffering, and she was hoping for a miracle. After countless hours of silent meditation and a string of inexplicable coincidences, Laurie experiences blissful shifts in consciousness, and is astonished by visions of otherworldly beings. But when an immobilizing snowstorm prolongs her stay at the monastery, the unexpected happens. Seemingly magical events, coupled with the kindness and wisdom of Charles, the monastery cook, transforms her life in ways she never dreamed possible.

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Praise for Unexpected Awakening

“Unexpected Awakening is a testament to the power of compassion and the vast potential we each hold for healing and forgiveness.”

—Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Life

“I couldn’t put this book down! In Unexpected Awakening, Laurie S. Jacobson chronicles her brave journey in a silent retreat at a Buddhist monastery where she arrived as a sincere seeker, heartbroken and desperate. With the honesty and humility of her beginner’s mind, Laurie invites us to witness the mysterious workings of the Dharma that help her awaken into a new life of freedom and love.”

—Trudy Goodman, PhD, Founding Teacher of InsightLA

“Over the years of teaching meditation, I have witnessed the extraordinary power of long-term silent retreat to change lives. This book is a rare opportunity to peek inside a retreat to witness a remarkable journey. Most importantly, we witness the power of insight and compassion that helps to free the author from an abusive relationship. If you were ever curious about what happens on a long retreat, this book is a gem.“

—Diana Winston, Director of UCLA Mindful, and author of The Little Book of Being and Fully Present