LOST SOULS: Finding Hope in the Heart of Darkness

There are untold numbers of books designed to help readers deal with losses: of a spouse, a job, a pet. Here, Rabbi Goldstein offers a moving meditation on the meaning of losing one's way. Drawing on autobiographical vignettes, psychoanalytic theory, biblical tales and Hasidic wisdom, Goldstein suggests that being lost is "bewildering," but it also can be "transformative." For when we are lost, we can clarify what is really important to us, and place ourselves on a new, more authentic path. Goldstein most clearly illustrates this with a vignette about his friend Elizabeth, who barely survived being shot in the head by a stranger. Initially angry and confused, Elizabeth learned to think of the shooting not as a nadir or tragedy, but as a turning point, "a mystery that…nourishes her soul." Goldstein writes with Jewish inflections, but this book will be accessible to readers of any faith background. The book is not flawless. Some of the biblical stories feel like fluffy filler, barely relevant to Goldstein's larger points. The references to "existential conflicts" and Nietzsche are overkill, threatening to turn an otherwise elegant reflection on a poignant theme into a late-night conversation among black-clad college freshmen. And the theme of loss sometimes threatens to become vague and inchoate, though Goldstein generally brings it back to earth with concrete examples. Readers who can tolerate those occasional lapses will find this short, courageous book on the elemental feeling of being lost informative, instructive and inspiring. (Oct.)