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hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
challenging
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Incredibly interesting narrative, weaving science, magic, culture, and personal narrative. I was incredibly fascinated by her knowledge of Celtic ritual and the scientific connections. However, as I read this book I became distrustful of the author, she’s the chosen one of the Celtic history, and the last keeper of it truth, she discovered so many scientific things however, she was never credited for it, and so I had to leave academia, she’s been dubbed the medicine, woman by indigenous first nations tribes. Well, I believe her, her being the chosen one for literally everything is just too much of a cliché, and if I was reading any kind of fiction and be like this is ridiculous, and as I read on, I started saying that about her own life, which I felt bad about. She’s too much of a renaissance woman that I don’t trust her. I wish she had just kept to the Celtic history and ritual and the scientific connections and not branched out into other things. I know this is her personal narrative and because I get why she branched out, but it was far more interesting hearing that stuff, and the stuff that she did branch out into made me dislike the book.
informative
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
This book was tried it’s best to weave personal biography w/ history, ecology, and biology. The autobiographical sections of this book were the hardest to get through, vague and often repetitive. I wish the author focused more on Celtic mythology, folkways and wisdom. She clearly has the background and a rich knowledge of the culture in a way few people do today. Yet I felt there was much more to be had and she focused more on her own past than on the trees and plants and landscapes of Ireland. There was also a very uncomfortable possibly problematic section on her relationship w/ Indigenous communities when she goes to work and research in Canada. It read as a very “white savior” type of narrative. I straight up rolled my eyes at several points. I don’t believe that was her intention but the way it was written made me feel that way as a reader. I did appreciate all of the Irish Gaelic language and names of the trees and plants. I enjoyed flipping through the Celtic dictionary of plants in the last section. I only wish the author chose to focus more on this aspect of the book. All and all, it was a decent read but there are much better out there. Check out: “Braiding Sweetgrass,” by Robin Wall Kimmerer for an Indigenous perspective on ecology and the natural world and anything by John O’Donohue for all this Celtic spirituality and culture.
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
This book was magical! The trauma endured and the growth received are juxtaposed incredulously. My prayer is we can have the same miraculous healing of the earth from our human-inflicted trauma as Diana has. Time to get busy, we have trees, magical trees, to plant!!
emotional
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
A mix of memoir, history, botanic and spirituality. A thought provoking, emotionally charged and engrossing book that made me think and reflect.
I loved the style of writing and it was an excellent reading experience.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I loved the style of writing and it was an excellent reading experience.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine