Wednesday, June 12, 2013

The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono

We have been in the middle of a remodeling project for the past month and a half:  in order to get a larger sewing studio, we have switched our master bedroom with my studio.  We moved furniture out, repaired drywall, painted, had new carpet laid in my new studio, had hardwood flooring laid in our new bedroom, and moved furniture back in (including some new furniture in my studio).  Today I was putting books back on the shelves in our bedroom, and I rediscovered this book.  As I flipped through it looking for the ISBN so I could post it to PaperBackSwap, I ended up re-reading it and decided to keep it.  According to Goodreads,
Simply written, but powerful and unforgettable, The Man Who Planted Trees is a parable for modern times. In the foothills of the French Alps the narrator meets a shepherd who has quietly taken on the task of planting one hundred acorns a day in an effort to reforest his desolate region. Not even two world wars can keep the shepherd from continuing his solitary work. Gradually, this gentle, persistent man's work comes to fruition: the region is transformed; life and hope return; the world is renewed.
It is a delightful story, a very quick read, and I rate it 5 out of 5.

1 comment:

Kathy A. Johnson said...

What a nice surprise for you! It's interesting to revisit a book you've read before at a later date, to see what you take away from the story on second reading.

Sounds like a huge project, but how wonderful! A lovely, larger studio, and a fresh new bedroom. Congratulations!