A woman journeys to Kauai to save Hawaii's native plants: "Part history, part personal confession, part cautionary tale about environmental preservation" (Gioia Diliberto, author of Paris Without End). /> One day, Lucinda Fleeson quit her big-city newspaper job, sold her suburban house, and moved halfway across the world to the island of Kauai to work at the National Tropical Botanical Garden.
Imagine a hundred-acre garden estate nestled amid ocean cliffs, rain forests, and secluded coves. Exotic and beautiful, yes, but as Fleeson awakens to this sensual world, exploring the island's food, beaches, and history, she encounters an endangered paradiseâ??the Hawaii we don't see in the tourist brochures.
Native plants are dying at an astonishing rateâ??Hawaii is called the Extinction Capital of the Worldâ??and invasive species (plants, animals, and humans) have imperiled this Garden of Eden. Fleeson accompanies a plant hunter into the rain forest to find the last of a dying species, descends into limestone caves with a paleontologist who deconstructs island history through fossil life, and shadows a botanical pioneer who propagates rare seeds, hoping to reclaim the landscape. Her grown-up adventure is a reminder of the value of choosing passion over security, individuality over convention, and the pressing need to protect the earth. And as she witnesses the island's plant renewal efforts, she sees her own life blossom again.
"[An] impeccably researched, beautifully told tale of how America's most exotic locale transformed the life of an urban journalist." â??Gioia Diliberto
"As she delves deep into the island's history and ventures far into its delicate ecosystem, Fleeson undertakes her own personal and professional salvation, a spirited and daring pilgrimage that is both revelatory and enlightening." â??Bo… (plus d'informations)
Lucinda Fleeson feels that the excitement and adventure are over in her life. Middle-aged, disillusioned with her career as a journalist, and divorced, she accepts an unexpected job offer to work as a PR person for the National Botanical Garden, in Hawaii. She finds a new botanical world, explores the local history and finds a new passion for life. Beautifully written and inspiring. ( )
I thought this was going to be a more philosophical look into aging, but did enjoy the history of the islands in Hawaii as well as some of the flora and fauna information ( )
enjoyed this title b/c i had just recently been to hawaii. interesting to read what living and working on the island is really like. stories of the gardens and the collectors were fascinating. another disheartening story of threatened species though... ( )
I live in Hawaii and am somewhat familiar with many of the places Fleeson discusses. Her description of coming to Kauai as a mainland haole seems pretty accurate to me. I winced with remembered chagrin when I read of some of her experiences. Learning about the history of Allerton was fascinating. She does a great job of showing not only what a beautiful place these islands are, but also the tensions that lie just underneath, and sometimes erupt from, that beauty. Great read. ( )
This book is a nice composite of botany, gardening, finding yourself chick lit, travel, and history. I enjoyed the descriptions of the flora and fauna of the islands very much. (Thanks to Leeson for raising my awareness about the reasons many species of plants in Hawaii are endangered and facing extinction.) One big distraction which I felt detracted from her story was her over-zealous use of quotes from other writers. This tendency made the work feel more like an assigned school research paper or a news piece than an autobiographical memoir about a woman's "pursuit of an impassioned life." ( )
A woman journeys to Kauai to save Hawaii's native plants: "Part history, part personal confession, part cautionary tale about environmental preservation" (Gioia Diliberto, author of Paris Without End).
One day, Lucinda Fleeson quit her big-city newspaper job, sold her suburban house, and moved halfway across the world to the island of Kauai to work at the National Tropical Botanical Garden.
Imagine a hundred-acre garden estate nestled amid ocean cliffs, rain forests, and secluded coves. Exotic and beautiful, yes, but as Fleeson awakens to this sensual world, exploring the island's food, beaches, and history, she encounters an endangered paradiseâ??the Hawaii we don't see in the tourist brochures.
Native plants are dying at an astonishing rateâ??Hawaii is called the Extinction Capital of the Worldâ??and invasive species (plants, animals, and humans) have imperiled this Garden of Eden. Fleeson accompanies a plant hunter into the rain forest to find the last of a dying species, descends into limestone caves with a paleontologist who deconstructs island history through fossil life, and shadows a botanical pioneer who propagates rare seeds, hoping to reclaim the landscape. Her grown-up adventure is a reminder of the value of choosing passion over security, individuality over convention, and the pressing need to protect the earth. And as she witnesses the island's plant renewal efforts, she sees her own life blossom again.
"[An] impeccably researched, beautifully told tale of how America's most exotic locale transformed the life of an urban journalist." â??Gioia Diliberto
"As she delves deep into the island's history and ventures far into its delicate ecosystem, Fleeson undertakes her own personal and professional salvation, a spirited and daring pilgrimage that is both revelatory and enlightening." â??Bo
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