"In a time of desolation, Thomas Becknell is drawn to the Mississippi River, then caught by its powers of enchantment. He sets out to learn about the river's great allure, to be near it and to ponder what it might show him. Enchantments of the Mississippi takes you on a contemplative journey of time and place. It does not follow a linear path from source to sea. Rather, its chapters are shaped by topography and memory. Its sequence is the mystery of the river's unfolding." from the Publisher.

"Thomas Becknell invites us to join him as he sets out to find some spiritual connections and a sense of the sacred along the banks of the Upper Mississippi River. His search leads him from his own Twin Cities home to select points south, and to towns as Prescott, Grafton, Nauvoo, and Hannibal. This exploration is about both geography and humanity. Through his own travels and readings ... we learn more about the circumstances that have led various people to gather along the banks of the [Mississippi River] over the years." Corine H. Smith