Majeek by Paddy Head

Some books entertain. Some books educate. A few also have the capacity to change our lives, and Paddy Head’s
break-through novel Majeek is one of them. When jockey Sally O’Sullivan takes a bone-cracking spill on the
backstretch, it looks like her reign as the feisty Queen of Woodbine Racetrack is over. But actually, the tale has
only just begun.  Miraculous events enter her life - without knocking. Hardheaded Sally may be reluctant to saddle
up for a trip to other dimensions, but the mysterious Dark Lady of her dreams has big plan for her. Like it or not,
Sally and her past-life soul mates let slip the reins of rationality and gallop headlong into the unknown. ‘Solvit
persona’, says Sally’s mentor, at one point, ‘the persona dissolves’. This story will challenge and change your
perception of reality, as much as it transforms its protagonist’s.

Author Paddy Head wisely grounds this extraordinary tale in a very solid context. Much of the story is set in Bridge
of Allan whose bluff Scots locals and solid country pubs provide the perfect backdrop for an astounding series of
events. In the same vein, much of this debut novel’s charm is generated by the down-to-earth way her characters
respond to their adventures. Sally’s companions on this hero’s journey may be open to other dimensions, but they’
re also very much at home in this one. Despite its New Age perspectives, this book is both funny and engaging.
One of Head’s many talents as a writer is realistic, well-paced dialogue, and a healthy dose of humour, even in
the most soulful moments. As Sally tries to read the mind of her handsome lover Patrick, for instance, she is quick
to point out that “even in the spirit world, there’s a privacy clause!” Despite its rollicking pace, the book is highly
informative. Sally’s soul sister Samantha, an anti aging doctor, provides some fascinating insights into the healing
power of spirit, without ever being preachy. North America’s most famous visionary medical expert, Christiane
Northrup, calls Majeek “an uplifting story about the power of horses, spirit and love.”

And the latter topic is, well, shall we say, thoroughly covered. The sex scenes, and there are many, are simply
crackling. Much, though not all of the sexual energy that impels Majeek is provided by the seductive Amazonian
figure of Samantha’s lover, Jacquelyn Gerard, who reclaims female sexuality in grand Mae West style. Though the
relationship between these two women is tender and compelling, Head portrays sexuality as a power that should
not, and may not be confined or pigeonholed, but rather transcends limitation. The relationships between Sally
and Patrick and some of the sex scenes from other, more liberated, dimensions, will just blow your mind, and the
ending, well, you’ll need to read it for yourself (but perhaps not in public).

As a pioneering woman jockey in North America, author Paddy Head hung on for the wildest of rides. Here’s your
chance to do the same. As the book cover says, “You’re in the starting gate, there’s only one way out…forward,
quickly, on a soul-opening journey.”      

Majeek is the story of a female jockey who collides head first with another dimension, in which she is transformed
by the healing energy of spirit.

Harry Potter for grownups!