Rhythmic, evocative, b&w photos, presented full page in an oversize format (13.5x10") offer intimate glimpses of life at a Benedictine monastery near Abiquiu, New Mexico. Photographer O'Brien returned from having been made captive in Afghanistan while on assignment for Life Magazine in 1989. He found both solace and a photo assignment for himself, participating for a year as a resident at the monastery. Complementing the images, text consists of an essay by poet Christopher Merrill and a foreword by Mary Anne Redding of the Museum of New Mexico (where O'Brien's photos will be exhibited until early 2013). Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)