I first read this in 1986 and was delighted by the tale of transformation. Now these many years later I've reread it and found it a great comfort because my journey has taken me through events and experiences I could never have imagined in 1986. Its become clear that the journey is what matters not the destination. And that on this journey one might not expect the companions one is likely to encounter - because the companions we might want are not the ones we need and the ones we need are not the ones we expect.