The Faithful Gardener: A Wise Tale About That Which Can Never Die
Renowned Jungian psychologist and poet Estes (Women Who Run with the Wolves, Ballantine, 1992; The Gift of Story, Ballantine, 1994) writes a beautiful allegory in her latest volume. Growing up in a refugee family, Estes learns the art of storytelling in the ancient tradition. In graceful prose, she relates the story of her Hungarian Uncle Zovar, a concentration camp survivor, in his struggle to release himself from the horrors of camp life. A "story within a story" is illustrated through the uncle's narration of the burning death and rebirth of his forest during World War II. Estes includes her own rendition of the Christmas tree story: the tree in the forest cut down, adorned at the house, then burned as firewood in the end. She relates the story of her own urban forest started in her back yard, inspired by her uncle's thoughts on nature. Estes's style is charming, spellbinding, and lyrical. Followers will clamor for more. Highly recommended.?Lisa Wise, EBSCO, Springfield, Va.Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.