Theos Reise

He is not a morning person and reads books about ancient Egypt or Tibetan Book of the Dead late into the night. Theo is 14 years old and lives in Paris. When he’s not burying his head in books, he sits in front of the computer trying to solve the daily puzzle posed by his red-haired online friend Pythia. In Theo's life, there is also his Senegalese friend Fatou, his Greek mother Melina, his French father Jérôme, and his two sisters. When his morning dizziness doesn't go away, Theo learns after a doctor's appointment that he is seriously ill. A mysterious illness that could potentially end in death. The doctors are powerless. Without hesitation, his aunt Marthe plans an unusual journey - a journey through the religions of the world. Theo sees Jerusalem, Cairo, Rome, Benares, Jakarta, Tokyo, Moscow, Istanbul, Dakar, Bahia, New York, and Prague. Everywhere he and Aunt Marthe meet knowledgeable guides who explain faiths ranging from Judaism to shamanism, from the early church to Mormonism, and even allow him to participate in the most important festivals and rites. During one of these rites, Theo learns that his twin sister died shortly after birth. A death that his parents never wanted to talk about. Against all odds, Theo is ultimately healed, but not by conventional medicine, rather by medicine men.

Catherine Clément, born in 1939 in Paris, studied philosophy and psychology at the Sorbonne, taught there, and works as a cultural editor and producer. As the wife of the French ambassador, she lived in Vienna, Prague, and currently in Dakar. She gained recognition as an author through her scholarly works. In Germany, her publications include: "The Woman in the Opera," "The Senyora," "Gandhi," and "The Saint and the Madman." She has written widely acclaimed essays and twelve novels.