Arkie's Pilgrimage to the Next Big Thing

Description

A delightfully funny and inspiring novel about a very modern pilgrimage, and one woman's chance to rediscover what she's lost. 'I watch the highway go by and ponder my situation. I am on the run from my husband s divorce lawyer, my mojo is still missing in action and my demon ex-lover is lurking ...But, all things considered, my pilgrimage is going well ...' Arkie used to be a trendspotter, running a successful business advising companies on the next big thing . Until she lost her marriage and her mojo along with it. Her eccentric new friend Haruko suggests a pilgrimage in Japan. But funds are tight, so instead Arkie s going on a very Australian trip, to all the Big Things . With Haruko as her guide, magic is everywhere. A Buddha appears next to the Big Redback, the Big Macadamia rises from the jungle like a lost temple and inside the Big Shell she can hear a tinkling voice, reminding her of the child she never had. As her improbable adventure unfolds, realisation dawns- could it be that, despite her celebrated foresight, Arkie s been missing what was right before her eyes?

Arkie's Pilgrimage to the Next Big Thing is Lisa Walker's third novel, following Liar Bird and Sex, Lies and Bonsai (HarperCollins). Lisa grew up in Fiji and Brisbane. She has worked as a cross-country ski instructor, igloo builder, Nepal trekking leader and reef guide. She now works part-time at Northern Rivers Writers Centre. She was a winner in the 2005 ABC Short Story competition and her travel articles and short stories have appeared in publications such as Geo Australasia and Outdoor Australia. Her radio play, Baddest Backpackers, was broadcast on Radio National. Lisa lives on the north coast of New South Wales, dividing her spare time between writing and surfing on her Malibu.