Into the Hills: An Inner Adventure Novel on the Noble Eightfold Path

by Stephanie Noble

Eva, a grieving elementary school teacher, seeks distraction through a passionate but shallow relationship with Chad. Their weekly date never leaves his bedroom in one of those new mini-villas built at the edge of town where she grew up playing in the fields. Her dog, Trusty, dislikes Chad, and the feeling is mutual. But Eva disregards Trusty's instincts, or anyone else's! Her dear friends are concerned, but she won't listen.
As the story opens, Eva finally discovers the kind of work Chad does, and when she confronts him, she realizes she may be in real physical danger. She flees his house and runs into the hills.
Having gone further than she planned, exhausted, she trips and loses consciousness.
She wakes to find herself surrounded by seven faces looking down at her. It turns out they are camping nearby and invite her to join them, and she agrees to at least spend one night since she can't make it back down the hill in the dark. But as she learns more about the nature of the gathering, she agrees to stay on, finding relief and insight through silence, meditation, shared meals, and group discussions of personal experiences and challenges with Wise View, Wise Intention, Wise Effort, Mindfulness, Concentration, Speech, Action, and Livelihood.
As she settles into the rhythm of retreat life, she finds she doesn't have to run away and seek distraction from the pain she's been experiencing. She learns to observe her thoughts and emotions without judgment, recognizing how suffering arises and how it can be met with kindness and clarity.
This is a story of how the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path meets us exactly where we are and helps us to live with greater compassion and clarity.
The novel comes with a free downloadable workbook to make the experience more personal to each reader.

353 pages, Paperback

Published May 19, 2026

About the author

A long-time Insight meditation teacher and blogger, Stephanie Noble shares both her personal insights and understanding of Buddhist wisdom in dharma talks, blog posts, non-fiction, poetry, and, most recently, a novel.

Her childhood was spent in Ohio and Illinois, and then, following her father's career, the family moved to San Francisco in 1957. She graduated from Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, CA, in 1965. She attended Temple University, San Francisco Art Institute, and College of Marin, and received her BA from New College of California.
She lives with her husband, the artist Will Noble, in San Rafael, CA. They have four adult children and five grandchildren.

Reviews

[Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the beginning I was on Eva’s side — sometimes she was me in my twenties, my niece in her twenties, my granddaughters in their twenties. She is a real character that makes me worry, cringe, shout “No! No! Don’t!”

From then on I marveled at an almost fairytale happening where the Eight Fold Path unfolds and makes sense. The retreat attendees are gems and real people. Trusty is a wise pooch. And Eva plumbs the forest experience for life’s secret.

Into the Hills: An Inner Adventure Novel Exploring the Noble Eightfold Path is a wonderful undertaking, well taken. Stef has many gifts: clarity, humor and a strong desire to help us make our lives easier and more joyful and fulfilling.