Circles of Stone

A mysterious letter from a Peruvian woman arrives just as jet-setting surpermodel Natalia is leaving her Scottsdale, AZ hotel for a few solitary days at her Santa Monica, CA beach condo. As she speeds west, one sentence nags at her, intruding on her consciousness: "I could be mistaken, but I believe I know your mother, your real mother." Why should Natalia care? Now living a storybook life, she has never given high priority to learning the details of her entrance into the world. Without consciously deciding to do so, Natalia detours from her itinerary, heading north toward Flagstaff. As if a passenger in her own car, she finds herself at El Retiro de Cristo Rey, a Sedona retreat center, where she meets Fr. Gregory Martindale. Confiding in this unusual priest and spiritual guide, she tells him about the stranger's letter and her lack of curiosity--until now--about her birth and adoption. With Fr. Martindale's encouragement, Natalia embarks on a sojourn of body and soul, beginning with a meditation walk on the retreat center's outdoor labyrinth. This pattern of concentric circles of stone becomes a metaphor for her search for truth and a more authentic life. In the weeks that follow, Natalia's odyssey leads to discovery of shocking family secrets and, subsequently, to life-changing decisions. Circles of Stone, by Alfred J. Garrotto, is an uplifting story told with great serenity and insight about a beautiful adoptee's journey to love, happiness, and the meaning of her existence.Read more