To Be Here is Immense
“…From a young age, (Clare Simons) exhibited a spiritual hunger. She attended lectures on esoteric philosophy, joined Haitian charismatics at prayer in Harlem, sung Mass in Latin with nuns, and sought the wisdom of spirit guides in a psychic church. Over time, this relentless questing left her feeling cynical and jaded: ‘With the reckless abandon of a drowning person … I doubled down on my search for God, checkbook in hand.’ Then she encountered the Hindu guru Sri Mātā Amritānandamayī Devī, known as Amma, and this, Simons says, transformed her life. She became a devoted disciple, following Amma across the world and beseeching her to bless her marriage to Scott Rice, …whom she describes as ‘the only person who has truly loved me.’
…In this wide-ranging memoir, Simons … proves an ideal narrator for the story of a woman driven by a passion for knowledge and justice, resulting in ventures that can be rewarding but sometimes ill-advised (including time spent with a cult). Her narrative voice is utterly charming throughout and, regardless of one’s politics or philosophy, comes to feel, by the end, like a conversational and well-informed friend.” —KIRKUS REVIEW July 2026
Advanced Praise
“Her narrative voice is utterly charming throughout and, regardless of one’s politics or philosophy, comes to feel, by the end, like a conversational and well-informed friend.” —Kirkus Review
“The sacred and the profane are never far apart in this hilarious, heartbreaking memoir about loving another person through the mess of our own humanity while traveling together on the path to God. Simons is a seeker of the first order —intelligent, skeptical, self-questioning — and her story of loss and metamorphosis deserves a place next to Elaine Mansfield’s Leaning into Love and Andrew Harvey’s Return of the Mother. Wry, inquisitive, resolutely entertaining, Clare Simons is an original.” —Mark Matousek, author of Sex Death Enlightenment and Lessons From an American Stoic: How Emerson Can Change Your Life
“The triumph here is the authority of the storytelling voice, breezy, easily elegant. We believe in it. I’m talking trust. The stories fill me with joy and make my head spin. The rush of the real world and the ecstatic is disarmingly beautiful. I am never in the presence of the glorious long enough to doubt it.” —Joanna Rose, A Small Crowd of Strangers by Forest Avenue Press
“Clare’s search was propelled by some of the most transformative political messages of our time. Her behind-the-scenes narrative is more compelling than anything in front of the camera could ever be. We see her pass from keen observer to passionate advocate and from lover to widow, always chasing Truth on the path of mercy and compassion.” —Barbara Coombs Lee, President Emerita & Senior Advisor, Compassion & Choices; author of Finish Strong: Putting Your Priorities First at the End of Life
Compassion & Choices, a national nonprofit working to improve care and expand options at the end of life, recognized Clare Simons, a former staff member, for her advocacy in defending Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act before the U.S. Supreme Court.
“[To Be Here is Immense] is culturally smart, often hilarious, and full of heart. If you know that you’re on a spiritual journey of an unknown destination, I think you’ll love this book.” —Spirituality & Practice
Find Me on Tour
9/3 | Wild Rising Press Zoom Launch | On Zoom (Link)
9/8 | Reading at Annie Bloom’s Books | Portland, OR | 7:00-8 pm
9/13 | Reading at New Renaissance Bookshop | Portland, OR | 3:30-4:30 pm
9/19 | Reading at BOLD Coffee and Books| Portland, OR | 7:00-8 pm
10/9 | Reading at the Carpenter’s House| Olympia, WA | 6:00-8 pm
10/24 | MA Center | San Ramon, CA | 5:30 PM Satsang