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“Captivating characters of varied ages and species, and an intriguing and highly suspenseful plot, are handmaidens to Bordhi’s vision—both spiritual and pragmatic—about how life should be understood and consciously lived. Marvelous yet utterly plausible, this tale concerns a brother and sister and the (often difficult) lessons they and their loved ones must confront. The central medium for a succession of unusual events is the forest that stands near the family’s country home. Bordhi’s fertile and lively imagination presents one delightful surprise after another. Though targeted for ages 10 and up, older readers [adults] are also likely to find this first novel a highly memorable—even haunting—reading experience on every level. Of particular note: The story is a narrative adaptation of the spiritual teachings of Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now.”

– from the Nautilus Awards Ceremony

The Nautilus Book Awards recognize and honor books published in the year 2003 that contribute significantly to conscious living and positive social change, and are co-sponsored by Body & Soul Magazine along with Marilyn McGuire & Associates, Inc.

Victoria Ritchie, manager of the Inner Light Bookstore in San Francisco, interviewing Cat Bordhi on September 19, 2003, in Vancouver, BC.

Victoria: How did your novel, TREASURE FOREST, begin to arise in you?

Cat: I invited Eckhart Tolle to speak on the island where I live in September of 1999, where I was a schoolteacher. Later that winter, it occurred to me that Eckhart’s teachings could be woven into a story for children of all ages. Constance Kellough, the publisher of THE POWER OF NOW, and Eckhart both encouraged me to write this book. Very soon, a riddle, which I immediately recognized for a Zen koan, appeared to me: “How can you retrieve a treasure from the bottom of a pond without disturbing the water?” The story has always been about that. In fact, if you can live beyond the answer to that riddle, you have it.

Victoria: The book fundamentally reflects your own very deep reverence for nature. Where did that inspiration come from?

Cat: I have been very fortunate to live closely with nature all my life, as well as feeling it alive inside myself. During the times in my childhood when I felt most alone, I still had that. So it’s never been lost, and it’s never been tarnished.

Victoria: I remember Eckhart saying something like this too, that when he was a child, he would go off on his bicycle into nature. That’s where he found connection and presence.

Cat: Yes. And since not everyone can access nature in physical form, my book welcomes everyone to the Forest Inside. Nature continues to be my greatest spiritual teacher. Eckhart has been a profound and wonderful teacher as well, and he has handed me, as well as a million people around the globe, words to embrace life. When he stayed with me on the island, I discovered how ordinary he was, and how much more alike we were than not. That was his greatest gift to me: his simple ordinariness. I think people who know Eckhart’s teachings will find them in the book, but even simpler than that, spiritual truth is so obvious in nature. Nature isn’t secretive about this at all. Nature is the teacher in TREASURE FOREST, and nature is in alignment with Eckhart. And nature is, of course, universal, so TREASURE FOREST can be read in any language or culture.

Victoria: Was the mystery element part of the original conception?

Cat: Oh, yes. Children love the enchantment of intrigue and mystery. There’s something in the story that changes every time you enter it, and you don’t know quite what it is, but you know where it is. Even when I reread it, it changes for me every time from that place.

Victoria: As in all good stories, there’s a struggle between the forces of darkness and light. Was that part of your original conception?

Cat: I’m sorry to say it was not! (Laughter) Eckhart was one of three early readers who told me, “You need a villain.” I discovered my villain, Daggett, hiding in an underground home in the forest, and thought I’d be able to weave him through what I already had. But, God bless Daggett, he’s a true villain. He ravaged the story, like he ravages Daphne’s house in the beginning. Over and over again I had to throw out parts that I was so attached to, in order to allow Daggett to be Daggett. And I will say it’s been worth every single moment. So yes, at first I avoided the light and dark, and then I had to go in and find it, and embrace it. The book has been my teacher, requiring me to do what the characters do.

Victoria: What was it about the character of Ishi, the wild man who was the last of his Native American tribe, which captured your interest and fascination?

Cat: To me Ishi is a human being who lived in form without any mistake, without any lack of spontaneous presence. To me he is pure human form. And so for my villain, Daggett, to take his deepest inspiration from Ishi, is very profound.

Victoria: There’s a fascinating blend of the ordinary and the extraordinary here. The mundane and the sacred are constantly interwoven into the pages of the story. As you wrote, was it difficult or easy to slip in and out of the two worlds?

Cat: They aren’t two worlds! They’re absolutely bubbling in the same place. I set about to describe the ordinary with such presence, that the reader realizes there’s no need to seek the extraordinary, because when you look truly at anything, it is glorious, and completely sacred.

Victoria: Do you see TREASURE FOREST as a book only for kids, or do you think that like Harry Potter and The Hobbit, it will appeal to adult readers of a certain kind?

Cat: I believe any adult who has a longing for something precious, something indefinable that they had more of when they were young, may find it reawakened in this book.

Victoria: Have you thought about doing an audio of the book? There are some smaller children who couldn’t read it, but would love the story.

Cat: Oh, yes! As a teacher, I know that many children, for whom reading is hard, love audio books, partly because then they can hear the book, but also because they love to read along with the audio. By the time they’ve done that with a few books, they are much better readers. I designed this book to include some challenging vocabulary, but always in context, so that it can be absorbed and understood. I want the book to be educational in terms of literary inspiration and encouragement for children, to make them more passionate readers, give them a larger vocabulary, and to nourish them with the music of language.

Victoria: How did you know when the book was finished?

Cat: In ten years I’ve only seen ravens fly directly over my house once or twice. The morning I completed the book, I stepped outside. Within moments, two ravens flew into the sky above my home, and began darting back and forth, vocalizing all their wonderful sounds. They were so close that I could see them well even without my glasses. They played above me for forty-five minutes and towards the end a third raven joined them. It was the raven seal of approval.

Note: A longer version of this interview is available upon request.

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Book Review

TREASURE FOREST
By Cat Bordhi

Reviewed by Elaine Pretz
Friday Harbor, Washington

TREASURE FOREST, a wonderfully adventurous, entertaining and spiritual novel, is Cat Bordhi's first work of children's fiction. Cat is an expert spinner, knitter, designer and the author of the popular knitting book, Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles. She is also a professional educator, most recently in the middle school classroom as a Humanities teacher.

TREASURE FOREST, the first book of the Forest Inside trilogy, has everything: a villain, a mystical wise-woman, birds and animals who communicate with humans, a vast forest to explore and a deep kinship with nature. It even has a bit of Alice in Wonderland as the young girl, Sara, finds herself led through a magical experience, both underground and in the treetops. The story touches on a wide spectrum of emotion: loss and comfort, grief and joy, mystery and the wonder of discovery and understanding. While written for an audience of teens and older adolescents, the book is a great read for adults and a good "read-to" for younger children.

For those who love fiber, this is one of the first novels I've come across that features handspinning and knitting in an accurate, realistic way. The spinning wheel becomes a comforting device for an anxious mother as she awaits word of her missing daughter. She knits socks from the yarn she spins, hoping her daughter will return home by the time the socks are knit--the activity helps keep her sane during a terrible time. The knitted tree house is a wonder in itself and is described so well, readers will want to try their hand at making their own.

The bond between the characters and the natural world was the most fascinating aspect of this story for me. There are interesting snips of forest lore as well as an exploration of the dangers, both perceived and real, of nature and its forces.

As a parent, I laughed at the genuine portrayal of Ben and Sara, the teenaged protagonists. It was fun to observe the relationship of parents and children, notably the children's frequent and vocal impatience with their parents' caution. Exchanges between the sister and brother were real and well crafted. Moreover, the book respects the intelligence, capability and integrity of young teens.

The book is deeply spiritual. Readers familiar with the work of Eckhart Tolle (THE POWER OF NOW) will recognize his teachings. There are many layers of meaning wrapped within TREASURE FOREST and each reader may discover something richly personal, as do the characters in the tale.

TREASURE FOREST will keep readers guessing as they try to solve Ben's riddle of the pond: "How can you retrieve a treasure from the bottom of a pond without disturbing the water?"

TREASURE FOREST, by Cat Bordhi, is published by Namaste Publishing, Vancouver BC, Canada, 2003. It is 6" by 9", 284 pages in length, hardbound with pen and ink illustrations. Available through popular bookstores or online from the publisher at www.namastepublishing.com.

ISBN: 0-9682364-8-0.