A PLACE OF HEALING FOR THE SOUL: Patmos

Like some of the people he has met on the Greek island of Patmos, France's latest book quietly exudes "charis," the word he uses to describe their charm and grace. Part spiritual memoir and part travelogue, this is the former BBC radio and TV host's very personal story of life on Patmos, the island known for its connection to the exiled Christian disciple John and his apocalyptic book of Revelation. France and his wife, Felicia, first visited Patmos in 1987 at the invitation of Bishop Kallistos, also known as the writer Timothy Ware. Soon after, they fell in love with the island and decided to put down roots there. Along the way, France, a skeptical inquirer where religion was concerned, was mystically drawn to his wife's Orthodox faith, but still could not bring himself to embrace belief. How he came to be baptized (a story recounted in the book's remarkable introductory scene) is best left to him to tell. France's gentle sense of humor makes for delightful reading, particularly in his descriptions of the difficulties of life on Patmos and the ways of the Patmians. Always, however, France writes with deep respect for the people of the island. The religious and the irreligious alike will appreciate his wonderful ability to talk about faith in a way that makes Eastern Orthodoxy seem as inviting as Patmos itself. (June)