One Hundred Daffodils: Finding Beauty, Grace, and Meaning When Things Fall Apart

by Rebecca Winn

Overview

"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 twenty-five 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538732700
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	03/24/2020
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	662,313
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Rebecca Winn is a multiple award-winning landscape designer and creator of the inspirational Facebook blog, Whimsical Gardens. Her eye for nature's beauty and her unique blend of wisdom, insight, and humor inspire and entertain hundreds of thousands of readers around the globe each day. Born in Dallas, Texas, Rebecca's family moved to Europe when she was in first grade, providing her the opportunity to grow up surrounded by the majestic, centuries old gardens of Italy, Scotland, and England, which strongly influenced both her garden designs and her writing. Her articles have appeared in regional and national magazines. One Hundred Daffodils is her first book.

Table of Contents

Prologue

The Spiderweb 3

Form and Formlessness 7

Decomposition

Living in Sleeping Beauty's Castle: Part One 13

Desperately Seeking Self 21

Living in Sleeping Beauty's Castle: Part Two 31

Déjà Vu All Over Again 37

Women Grieve; Men Replace 45

Fallow

I Am Autumn 55

The Itsy Bitsy Spider 58

First Touch 61

Bright White Nights 65

Opposites Attract 69

The Lifeline 76

Moments of Joy 81

Letting Go 84

Total Annihilation 91

The Still Small Voice 99

Geraldine 105

Germination

Invincible Summer 115

Dark Luna 119

It Came to Pass 125

Fall Blooming Flowers 128

Just Passing Through 131

Revelation Revelry 134

The Littlest Phoenix 138

The Great Escape 147

Emergence

Víbora 157

The Rescue 165

Patita 171

Seasons of Love 181

Coyote Ugly 190

March of the Sunflowers 195

One Hundred Daffodils 204

The Plane Truth 210

Deep Trust 215

To Sit in Solemn Silence 220

Florescence

No Need for Validation 229

The Giving Tree 237

Break Up, Break Down, Break Through 244

Cottonwood Chorus 252

A New Day 257

Raucous Raccoons 260

A Prairie Dog Companion 266

Chop Wood, Carry Water 280

Blank Canvas 289

Epilogue

Into the Great Unknown 297

Acknowledgments 301

About the Author 307

Editorial Reviews

02/10/2020

In her intimate and wise memoir, Winn (Whimsical Gardens) examines the painful breakup of her 25-year marriage. During her divorce, Winn realized that her most deeply held longing was to create her own identity and “to be known... and understood.” The author, who owns a landscape design company, chronicles her post-divorce life using garden nomenclature such as fallow, germination, emergence, and florescence. Throughout the thematic essays, Winn takes on the voice of a friendly advisor, as she explains the importance for her of being present with one’s pain, embracing others’ positive views of oneself, dealing with her need for external validation, and appreciating the beauty of the moment . She writes of purging toxic frenemies and learning to eventually appreciate her her ex-husband (“I was grateful that my marriage to Dan was able to end peacefully and develop into a friendship”). Readers enduring a rough patch in life will benefit from Winn’s empathy and hard-won wisdom. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"When women share the truth about life and loss, hearts can begin to heal and hope is restored. Readers will embrace that gift in Rebecca Winn's comforting and lovely memoir on beginning again."—Sarah Ban Breathnach,author of Simple Abundance: 365 Days to a Balanced and Joyful Life

"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 toDisappear

"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

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

"A warm, lushly sensitive memoir . . . restorative."—MPR News

"If you're dealing with heartache, Rebecca Winn knows how to ease the pain . . . If you're wondering what role you have in this world, Rebecca Winn can help you unearth it . . . If you're looking for wonder, oh my, Rebecca Winn knows where you need to immerse yourself."—fyi50+

"Comforting."—Dallas Morning News

"A botanical elixir for all of our aching hearts."—Superhero of Love Podcast

From the Publisher