- A
- beautifully
- illustrated,
- visually
- lush
- and
- intriguing
- book
- about
- the
- world's
- most
- popular
- and
- most
- powerful
- flower.The
- daffodil
- is
- the
- beautiful
- first
- flower
- of
- spring,
- the
- inspiration
- of
- poets,
- a
- treasure-trove
- to
- scientists
- and
- a
- symbol
- of
- everything
- from
- unrequited
- love,
- rebirth,
- eternal
- life
- and
- misfortune.
- Over
- centuries,
- the
- daffodil
- has
- been
- so
- many
- things
- to
- so
- many
- people:
- it
- was
- called
- 'Narcissus'
- by
- the
- Greeks
- and
- prized
- by
- the
- Romans
- as
- guarantee
- of
- passage
- to
- the
- Underworld;
- it
- was
- used
- by
- medieval
- Arabs
- and
- ancient
- Chinese
- for
- its
- medicinal
- properties
- and
- it
- has
- inspired
- poets,
- lovers,
- artists
- and
- scientists
- down
- the
- ages.But
- in
- telling
- the
- story
- of
- the
- daffodil,
- what
- award-winning,
- best-selling
- writer
- Helen
- O'Neill
- is
- really
- telling
- is
- the
- story
- of
- humanity.
- It's
- a
- narrative
- of
- progress
- from
- superstition
- and
- myth,
- taking
- in
- politics,
- greed,
- religion,
- science,
- chance,
- redemption
- and
- love.
- But,
- appropriately
- enough
- for
- a
- flower
- that
- is
- now
- used
- on
- a
- worldwide
- basis
- to
- raise
- funds
- for
- cancer
- research,
- it
- is,
- above
- all,
- a
- story
- of
- hope.
- Moving,
- fascinating,
- eloquent,
- and
- also
- beautiful.'O'Neill
- manages
- to
- make
- a
- biography
- of
- a
- flower
- feel
- like
- something
- of
- a
- detective
- novel,
- love
- story,
- historical
- drama
- and
- horticultural
- research
- paper
- rolled
- into
- one'
- Sydney
- Morning Herald
pro-mbooks3 : libris