The Vine by Adria L Dunn is a 316 pages collection of 47 letters from renowned people from 33 countries. The way the book was born has fascinated me. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the author decided to start a new WhatsApp group including all the people she could think about to help however they could in this time of need. Her desperate cry for help put in motion a global network of people who acted like a vine of hope, help, and inspiration.
The first message in the book comes from the Dalai Lama. Now, I have the utmost respect for who he is and what he represents, but his five pages of message are targeting all the general subjects, from kindness to global warming. There is nothing linking his message to this actual book. I mean, you can take those five pages and stick them as a foreword to every book that touches subjects such as global warming, happiness, inner peace, education so on and so forth. So, in my opinion, the foreword did not help the book.
Each letter is about one or more moments in the life of its author that changed its author as a human being, shifted perspectives, and changed the very way of living. The COVID-19 pandemic was a stopping point in life on Earth as we knew it. For a while, the entire world froze in place, so we were forced to look ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves what matters in our lives, who we are, what are we doing, and what motivates us. All the letters beautifully tie up events from the lives of each writer with the pandemic period, highlighting the idea that all the rough moments in life were survived because someone had hope and spread it around by helping and inspiring, changing the course of life of those implicated.
All the stories were inspiring to various degrees, and each had the same message: helping each other, connecting, and thinking of each other in terms of family and community brings hope, and hope means survival.
What I liked
The sense of family and community, the stories that made me laugh, cry, think, and the inspiration I got by reading this book. I have to admit this book found me in a perfect moment when I took a step back from my professional life trying to find my way in my own life. I think re-reading this book every few years will touch different parts of life and the soul, it will be understood differently and will change perspectives, which makes it timeless.
What I didn’t like
The words of Adria L Dunn at the beginning of this book. I understand that she has a story to tell, but when having 47 inspiring letters from people living all over the world, from scientists and humanitarians, from royal and political figures, also a message from Dalai Lama himself, as general as it may be, just be humble and quiet.
The story of her life was interesting until she started rambling about the number 19 and the flower of life and the whispers in her mind, and that she had a company with a name that was COVID-19 backward. Please, just please, understand that COVID-19 has nothing to do with your company, and the fact that you guide your life on voices whispering in your head makes me want to think about your mental health. In opening such an inspiring book, you felt the need to brag about your company…big NO from me that almost made me give up on the entire book.
All in all, the impact of this book depends on where you are in your life when you read it. But wherever you may be, don`t forget to always remember: life is not a matter of what it can do for you, but what you can do for those around you.
