Man Fast

''Smart, funny, and deeply wise'' Mirabai Starr

''A funny, courageous, and inspiring memoir about one woman''s journey into the unknown'' Elisabeth Eaves, author of Wanderlust: A Love Affair with Five Continents

Any cute boys? Natasha Scripture''s 64-year-old Indian mother wants to know. Once again, Natasha finds herself explaining that it is not easy to find a husband while serving as a relief worker in refugee camps, war zones and natural disaster areas.

Yet returning to New York, still reeling from the sudden death of her father, Natasha realizes that no matter how many dates she goes on, she is no closer to finding that special someone to fill the imaginary void inside her. Exasperated by her search for love, she embarks on a ''man fast'', where she stops looking for a relationship and instead turns inward to explore the question at the heart of her anxiety: what is her purpose?

This soul-searching takes her deep into the wilderness: from meditating in an Ayurvedic ashram in southern India to toiling on a vineyard on Mount Etna to going on a solo-safari in southern Tanzania (where she also marries herself-yes, it''s a thing).

In stepping away from the demands of modern life and societal pressure to couple up, Natasha finds a space where she allows herself to become fully present and awake: to her grief, to her identity, and to love as a mystical, ever-present force.

This is a book to inspire readers who also want to discover their truest, wildest, most empowered selves.