One Hundred Daffodils

Finding Beauty, Grace, and Meaning When Things Fall Apart

By: Rebecca Winn

Narrated by: Rebecca Winn

Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

"When women share the truth about life and loss...hope is restored" in this enlightening and comforting memoir about purpose, personal growth, and nature's ability to heal (Sarah Ban Breathnach).

"There is so much life in the garden. That is why I come. Life that is gentle, self-supporting, and beautiful. Continuous in its cycles, grounded, pure."

When her husband asked for a divorce after 25 years of marriage, Rebecca Winn felt untethered physically, spiritually, and emotionally. The security she'd had in her marriage was suddenly replaced by an overwhelming sense of fear, hopelessness, and dread. She felt invisible and alone and was horrified to consider that her deepest longing - to know and be known by another person - might never be realized. But from this fear emerged a powerful desire to answer one of life's most profound questions: How can we ever know another person if we do not truly know ourselves?

Facilitated in measures by a love affair with a younger man, dedicated study of Jungian psychology, and a deep dive into global spiritual practices, Winn transformed heartbreak into wholeness through communion with the divine in nature. By turning to her garden for guidance, sanctuary, and inspiration, and dialing closely into the flora and fauna around her, she ultimately discovered what is possible when we are willing look at our unvarnished selves with an open mind - and see others with an open heart.

©2020 Rebecca Winn (P)2020 Grand Central Publishing

Critic reviews

"Intimate and wise . . . Readers enduring a rough patch in life will benefit from Winn's empathy and hard-won wisdom." (Publishers Weekly)

"Rebecca Winn's quiet reflections here remind us that the restorative powers of the natural world are elusive, enigmatic: so often, they take us far and away from ourselves, all the while rooting us firmly in who we are and where we are. Kudos to her for tracking these ambiguities with such grace and clarity." (Akiko Busch, author of How to Disappear)

"Rebecca Winn is an artist with words. Her book, One Hundred Daffodils, proves the underestimated power of beauty to heal our deepest wounds. Using her garden, nature, and a delightful smattering of wild creatures, she weaves her midlife catastrophe into a beautifully written story of raw vulnerability, courage, and transformation. I was totally captivated and entranced." (Arielle Ford, author of Turn Your Mate Into Your Soulmate)

Good but drags out to long

I enjoyed the book/story. 1st 1/2 moved along ok, last 1/2 sorta went on & on & on.

Brilliantly delivered. Elegantly written.

This book has given me deep comfort during this uncertain, unprecedented and somewhat isolating time (Covid 19 outbreak, March 2020). The subtitle - Finding Beauty, Grace and Meaning When Things Fall Apart - could not be more fitting for this moment in history. Many around the world are unexpectedly home or *sheltering in place* in order to slow the spread of a virus; creating unexpected unstructured time at home time to read, reflect, recharge, and re-imagine a new normal on the other side of this.

This gorgeous and insightful hero's journey is the story in the form of a collection of essays is what I need and will read again and again. Finding the analogies of nature's resilience reflected in one woman's courageous journey to awaken brings hope and clarity.

A writer's job is to notice. This book warns against looking without noticing. In an age of distraction, Rebecca's work is more urgent than ever. Her keen noticing of beauty, detail, intelligence within nature and how it reflects human resilience and frailty has depth and kindness; grit and grace; purpose and pleasure. The attentiveness Rebecca achieves in her charged journey of aloneness is the soul of this book.