Two wooden pulleys are attached to a large wooden beam stretched across the temple ceiling. The assistants pull the rope and raise the litter into a standing position on its end. Andre, strapped with leather restraints crossing his forehead, chest, waist, legs, arms, and hands, facing the giant candles as he seeks the celestial spirt, he meditates.
As Andre’s body starts shaking violently, he lets out a terrifying shriek, and then, as if on cue, his body does limp and he is deathly silent.
“The human body has unknown abilities that science has yet to uncover. What if that potential could be harnessed by means of medicine men and monks? Andre Roberson seeks the answer when he goes to South Dakota and then to China to learn under the tutelage of Shaolin monks. The author has familiar knowledge of the various locales and traditions within the countries, which makes them come alive for the reader.”
—Maria A. Hughes, the US Review of Books
“An intriguing novel about a man named Andre who goes on a quest in search of enlightenment. Andre’s quest takes him in search of his father’s killer, and the story surrounding this adventure is filled with excitement, companionship, mystery and emotion. Andre ends up in a Shaolin Buddhist monastery in China where he is about to go through the experience of his lifetime. The Gifted One is a spiritual awakening that lifts the senses to a new heights.”
—Stephen McElwaine, former casting director, Creative Casting
