Empty Bowl - by Rikki West (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Perfect for readers seeking a higher understanding of their spiritual self, Rikki West's vibrant memoir follows her journey to confront hidden assumptions and childhood trauma on her way to finding her life's undeniable, living truth.

Rikki West's tale begins with her Catholic childhood in a Chicago suburb. As a little girl, she prays for her drunk father, begging God not to send him to hell. As a rebellious adolescent, she abandons religion, yet she yearns to connect with something more loving and peaceful than the human mind. As a teen on the California coast in the 1960s, she seeks union with higher consciousness through drugs and mantra repetition. And as a young woman studying at UC Berkeley, she gives up spiritual matters and shifts her trust to science as the only reliable truth. But something is missing for her--and when she launches her career in Silicon Valley, the drinking culture forces her to confront her own demons.

Relying on Alcoholics Anonymous and therapy to stay sober, Rikki gravitates to Eastern spirituality to find her genuine self and relationship to the universe. But after years of fasting, chanting, and praying, she still finds herself seeking more--and ultimately, it is only when she throws overboard all her notions of God and truth that something unexpected and wonderful blossoms in her world.

The Empty Bowl is the story of a human seeking self-knowledge--fraught with victories and disappointments, streaked with longing for love and peace.

Review Quotes

"A brilliant and brave memoir about facing emptiness. The prose is intelligent, taut, and disarmingly honest while the nuanced reflections are Proustian. A wild ride to satisfaction." --Dr. Richard S. Marken, author of Controlling People: The Paradoxical Nature of Being Human

"A powerful, heartbreaking, inspiring and joyful journey. The reader will be touched by the life, the musings, the discoveries, and most profoundly, the vulnerability and honesty of the writing. Reading this memoir, you feel less lonely in your own struggle--Rikki's inner awareness provides one possible path for each of us to find joy." --Roshi Illana Berger, PhD, spiritual leader, coach, and blogger

"Compelling, riveting, and a spiritual game-changer, Rikki West's new memoir is a coming-of-age and quest memoir all rolled into one. With candor, intelligence, and clever prose, she guides the reader on a roller coaster ride of self-discovery and then leads them across the finish line of spiritual awakening." --Julie Ryan McGue, author of Twice a Daughter: A Search for Identity, Family, and Belonging and Belonging Matters: Conversations on Adoption, Family, and Kinship

About the Author

Rikki West, a former spiritual seeker and UC Berkeley-trained scientist, spent decades trying to reconcile scientific explanations of existence with her ordinary, real-life awareness. One adventure at a time, she found her way to a peace and beauty that changed all the questions. Her book Rootlines, a memoir of family healing, was published by She Writes Press in 2020. Mother of Noli and Godmother of Morgan, Rikki loves being outside in the alpine desert of northern New Mexico, where she lives with her wife Jill and her dog, Zoey.