The Faithful Gardener

What in life is unconquerable? What survives no matter what? On The Faithful Gardener, Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés mines the rich storytelling tradition of her own family to unearth a series of lyrical stories that illustrate how faith is the one immortal force in our lives.

What begins as a simple tale from the lips of a child becomes the greater saga of Uncle Zovár, a quiet refugee from the Nazi slave camps, and his refusal to let bitterness darken his devotion to the earth. The final story, told in the form of a vivid old country tale about that which can never die, holds an unforgettable lesson about sacrifice and spiritual regeneration.

Raised by a family of refugee immigrants who revered stories as healing instruments, Dr. Estés relates these ageless tales that were first told to nourish, repair, and strengthen—whatever is most needed and wanted. The Faithful Gardener captures the spirit of a long-ago time, while deeply expressing our common desire to know that grappling with sudden and unexpected twists of fate and challenging transitions—however painful—is never in vain.