Matsuo Basho died in 1694. He is known as the father and master of the haiku. However, Basho the poet is not dead. His words still live. In WALKING WITH BASHO his words bring life to the unnamed reader. Across more than three hundred years, the master and the student develop a teacher-student relationship. They become friends. As Basho journeyed through north-central Japan, he recorded his travels and poetry in NARROW ROAD TO THE NORTH. He did not travel alone but went with a friend, Sora. The record of this journey is a celebrated and classic work. When the reader in this story bought the book in a used book store, he had no idea of the impact the book would have on his life. WALKING WITH BASHO is a spiritual journey. It opens the reader's eyes to the truth of his chosen path and gives him the key to find freedom and hope. The reader discovers more than a friend and mentor in Basho, he finds hope and a new way to look at his life. Who could ask for anything more? Who would want anything less? This fictionalized account of Basho's journey is an attempt to span the years and cultures and provide insight into a way of life rarely offered us. This book is fiction, but it is spiritual fiction. It's purpose is to plant a sense of hope and a desire for change in all who read it. Life is a journey. For a brief time we will be able to travel together. May we grow in ourselves and in our relationships with others. Come, let us wander on.