The book

Born Longing

Julia's first book · Coming soon

One woman's search for fulfillment — through wild spiritual adventures, romantic wrong turns, and the discovery of a love far greater than she ever dreamed possible.

Cover of Born Longing by Julia Arbuckle: a woman in white walks along a pier toward the sunrise over open water. The subtitle reads, from looking for love to becoming its source.

About the book

Julia Arbuckle grew up yearning for a Great Love, with a Great Man, and a Great Life. Devastated after a relationship with a man whom she believed was Great, she found herself at a silent meditation retreat. There she met a teacher who would later become one of the world's most influential spiritual leaders.

Then one evening, immersed in her own heartbroken thoughts, she watched a woman take the stage and begin her story with the words, “I was born with intense longing.” Julia broke down in tears. For the first time, she realized she might have mislabeled the longing she'd carried all her life. Perhaps a Great Man was never what she had truly been searching for.

Spanning Japan and India, France and Colombia, Born Longing traces one woman's search for fulfillment through wild spiritual adventures, romantic wrong turns, and a marriage that appeared stable but concealed a shattering secret. Told with wit and candour, this is the story of a woman who discovers a love far greater than her teenage self ever dreamed possible, and ultimately learns that, “Love is not an emotion. It is your very existence.”

In Julia's words

“Each story records how, through grace, I peeled back one layer of ignorance. How a ray of light entered a dark space. And these are the stories I want to tell.”

Julia, writing about the manuscript, 2020

What writers are saying

Praise for Born Longing.

Born Longing is a deeply moving memoir. With honesty, humility and humour, Julia Arbuckle takes the reader on a wild, inspiring ride in pursuit of her heart's most abiding desire.

Alissa York · bestselling author of Effigy, shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize

A fearless memoir of wreckage, wrong turns, and the quiet grace that arrives when we stop chasing love and discover what it actually is.

Kushal M. Choksi · bestselling author of On a Wing and a Prayer

Born Longing is a profound exploration of the freedom that emerges when we realize love is not something to be found, but something that already lives within us. With stunning authenticity, Julia Arbuckle offers an uplifting reminder that the fulfillment we seek is ours from the outset. Deeply engaging and a true page-turner, readers will dive into her story and emerge with a renewed sense of hope.

Emma Seppälä, PhD · bestselling author of The Happiness Track and Sovereign
Julia Arbuckle seated quietly by the water.
The book list

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