D. M. Kenyon

The Lotus Blossom: a Novel About Waking Up D. M. Kenyon

The Lotus Blossom is the fictional recollection of a suburban teenage girl who immerses herself in classical budo training (the way of war) after she savagely repels a rape attempt by a classmate and discovers that she has become both victim and perpetrator. Maddie Albright, is a recovering fashionista who was once obsessed with her ever-fluctuating social credit score relentlessly tattle-texted through the halls of her high school. Crisis, and her surprising response to it, leads her into an exploration of conflict, suffering, gender and power illuminating a need to develop real skill in the art of conscientious living. Suddenly finding herself beyond the distraction and numbness made convenient by the digital age, Maddie seeks guidance from the father of remarkable twins, one of whom is her best friend and the other her boyfriend. By developing the ability to open her mind with meditation and refine her physical prowess with martial training, she is taken aback by the sudden intensity, beauty and sadness of wide-awake living. Maddie becomes increasingly unsettled by the way her community trains its children, especially girls, to be self-obsessed and insulated from the real chaos of the world. She learns that expanding herself involves great risk that can only be managed by the intentional cultivation of skill, self-discipline and compassion. Even when she is unexpectedly plunged into the depths of sorrow, she chooses to have her heart broken rather than to miss the opportunity to embrace the world the way it is and to love it deeply anyway. D. M. Kenyon's debut novel of a teenage girl's transformation from texting gossip maven into a deeply aware, compassionate woman of conscience and commitment takes readers on a rare journey into personal evolution and self-mastery. This rich, engaging story shows us how enlightenment can be found in racing motorcycles over treacherous but lovely stretches of highway or in the contemplation of a single drop of rain. The Lotus Blossom is a deeply moving, often humorous story that stays with readers long after they've turned the last page.