Plant Trees, Carry Sheep

A Woman's Spiritual Journey Among the Sufis of Scotland

Non-Fiction - Memoir
331 Pages
Reviewed on 09/13/2020
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite

Scotland’s lush and green countryside beckons S.A. Snyder as she struggles with a spiritual crisis. A man named William offers her a place at Braemar House, known as the school of esoteric education. Enticed by the promise of learning to love God and man, what follows will be far more than the spiritual adventure she expects. Her memoir Plant Trees, Carry Sheep: A Woman’s Spiritual Journey Among the Sufis of Scotland is an account of her steps guided by God to find inner peace and to spread kindness. It seems, however, that the search for spiritual enlightenment is filled with pressure and stress. She realizes that the path to knowingness with the Sufis is paved with chopping wood, carrying water, planting trees, carrying sheep, cooking, cleaning, and other domestic tasks, because “God doesn’t always deliver what we need in a nice, tidy package.”

Two factors make this memoir fascinating: its witty, inspirational voice and its sensory richness. It might be heralded in the future as one of the best memoirs of the twenty-first century. It is inspiring and humorous in form and profound in content. As we become exposed to the vulnerabilities of S.A. Snyder, Plant Trees, Carry Sheep achieves a majestic narrative grandeur of its own. Another great quality of this book is the effective word choices that really deliver clear, coherent sentences. It cuts out the fluff and every paragraph addresses fascinating truths with such brevity. You will feel inspired to pack your bags to visit Scotland for a spiritual retreat after gaining insights from this beautiful memoir.

Laurie Adkisson

I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it to everyone looking for something to read! It is the fascinating true story of a young American woman who embarks on a journey for answers to the questions we all ask ourselves: Is God real and what does He want from me? What is my purpose here on Earth and am I doing what I am supposed to be doing? How do I fit in with the other people walking around on the planet? She finds herself in Scotland working at a place known as the school of esoteric education - the work is very physically demanding and the other boarders take some getting used to. The book moves along quickly and is hard to put down so be sure you have the evening free before you dive in! Using funny anecdotes, Sarah paints for us the trial and tribulation as well as the success and victory of her remarkable adventure and wraps it up with a beautiful surprise ending that will make you clap and cheer with delight. Run, do not walk, to your nearest bookstore or library and get yourself a copy of this book!