The Faithful Gardener Book Group

St Michael and All Saints invites you to a Lent book group based on The Faithful Gardener: A Wise Tale About That Which Cannot Die, by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, PhD, poet, psychoanalyst, and author of Women Who Run WIth The Wolves. In fewer than 100 pages, Estés weaves together stories of loss and survival, fallow periods and renewal, and the hope of resurrection, themes that resonate deeply with the Lenten journey toward Easter.

The Faithful Gardener is narrated through the lens of a young girl learning form her wise, eccentric, Hungarian immigrant elders. At its heart is the uncle's story, a war-ravaged peasant farmer working to restore a destroyed plot of land. Woven thorugh are parables which speak to the transition from life to death and the meaning of sacrifice.

Estés uses the cycles of the earth to symbolise spiritual transformation: the necessity of resting and leaving fields unseeded, the alchemy of nature that turns darkness into growth, and the faithful belief that even in deep trauma, the human spirit can be reborn. The book's central message is one of hope: that a core, indestructible force exists within all things, allowing for regeneration even after devastation. By tending carefully to what has been broken, we participate in the work of restoriation and discover beauty again.

The group will meet for three weekly sessions during Lent. PArticipants are encouraged to read the entire book before the first meeting, as each session will explore different themes and dimensions of the text.

Please note: The Faithful Gardener is currently out of print but can often be found secondhand. If you have difficulty locating a copy, please let us know and we'll ensure you have access to the text. No prior expereince with book groups is necessary, just bring your willingness to reflect, share, and create.

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Host or Publisher Jenna Baer