Review of The Vine

[Krista S 2]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Vine" by Adria L. Dunn.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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This book by Adria L, Dunn is a collection of letters from 47 influential people from around the world. Each letter is unique and details how that person finds hope in today’s world; most do it through helping others find hope in their lives as well. Because each letter is written by a different person from different countries and different backgrounds; every experience and tale are different so not every letter will resonate. Some evoke more emotion than others. Some are more thought provoking than others. While there may be some essays that really hit home and some that feel completely unrelatable, this book connects the reader and the letter writers through one common thread – hope! Every reader and every writer have been through a life experience where one feels hopeless, even if for a moment. This book made me feel that hope is the one unifying factor no matter the background of the reader or of the letter writer. There is a forward by the Dalai Lama, which is quite moving and, in my opinion, an excellent choice to begin the book with. I am a Jane Goodall fan so was delighted to see a letter from her included. There was a letter from an impressive young boy who made it his mission to help other children; his story really stuck with me. I genuinely enjoyed the diversity of the array of contributors; there are stories and life experiences which are so outside of my daily life bubble, and it was eye opening to say the least. Some of these experiences are difficult to read; some are truly heartbreaking, but it just makes the message of hope that much more meaningful; like, “if they can still hang on to hope after coming through that, then so can I!” It was uplifting to see just how much positivity is still out there coming from people who have really struggled. Overall, I enjoyed this book; there were certainly difficult to read moments, but it achieved its goal of helping to spread hope. I give the book 4/5 stars.

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The Vine
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