Zen’s Garden

Solas Murphy leaned heavily into the left-brained science he’d learned in medical school. His work as an emergency physician demanded it. He understood it, trusted it, and taught it. Everything made sense until Solas’s daughter, Zen, suddenly died. Then Solas fought the new insights that flowed into his mind as he saw patients. His premonitions proved correct, but he couldn’t control or trust them. When Solas’s wife and colleagues perceived the change, his career, his marriage, and his sanity hung in the balance. His reluctant journey would change everything, most notably him.

Advance Praise for Zen’s Garden

“I loved it. I cried in the beginning, the middle, and the end.”

Rosemary Watson, Actress, Comedian, Impersonator

“A compelling journey from numbing loss to acceptance and peace. This story challenges the boundaries of life and death. It’s a tale for our time, celebrating love and human connection.”

Kay Alden, 40-year writer, The Young and The Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful

“Dr. Jeff O’Driscoll is an accomplished medical doctor and a multi-faceted spiritual teacher. His passions manifest in his latest novel, Zen’s Garden, a must-read for spiritual seekers who are also connected to the left-brained logical world. Dr. O’Driscoll’s words and themes are so relatable—everyone will enjoy this story.”

Karen Crawford, M.D., Emergency Physician

A Note from the Author/Father:

When Solas said, “God, I loved that kid” (p. 45), I wept as if Zen had been my own daughter. The pain of her passing felt so personal and visceral it surprised me.

I finished the manuscript and set it aside. Two months later, my seemingly healthy daughter received her diagnosis. Rachel lived just six months. I held her hand as she died. I understood Solas’s pain perfectly.

From the moment I wrote the first page, I’d struggled for a title. Just days after Rachel died, she gave me the words, “Zen’s Garden.”

Until that moment, I’d thought of Solas’s journey in terms of what he was learning. Now, I realize it was about what Zen was cultivating.

Rachel always cultivated the best in me. She continues to do so.