A journey of the mind ... and the soul

With the spirit of an explorer, 15th-century Venetian cartographer and monk Fra Mauro sets out to create the definitive map of the world from his cell. Explorers, merchants, and ambassadors come to see him, bringing tales of the faraway, exotic lands they've seen, of strange and fantastic places, people, and ideas. Within himself, Fra Mauro finds a yearning for truth...and the project becomes the adventure of a lifetime.

"To read this multi-layered journey around the world and across time is to fall headlong into the emotional tumult of an antique map -- one with sea serpents devouring ships and fair winds blowing out of cherubs' mouths....Every exotic word works". -- Dava Sobel, author of Longitude

"Full of startling leaps of imagination and thought, this small gem of a book proves that the mind's desire can be as seaworthy a vessel as a schooner for exploring new worlds". -- Publishers Weekly

"Cowan's writing is graceful and fresh. We are enchanted -- we are wrapped in that magic and strangeness that comes of a journey far from our own time". -- Alan Lightman, Los Angeles Times Book Review