Especially during the era of COVID, many have fantasized about leaving the big city behind to take up a life in the country. Author Margaret Dulaney didn’t just dream about it – she did it. After 18 years living in Manhattan, she and her husband traded in their hectic city life for the peace of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Taking on one hundred acres of neglected farmland, they discovered a rich community of souls, both human and animal.

Dulaney is sharing that story – which suddenly seems all-the-more relevant – in her inspiring memoir, The Parables of Sunlight (Oct. 15, 2020), a book which revolves around her love of an abandoned and mortally injured horse, and the courageous pursuit of healing.

The Parables of Sunlight follows Margaret as she adjusts to her new life of farm ownership, and the questionable gift of an abandoned racehorse, whose life hangs in the balance for half a year. At the time, this struggle mirrored others of a similar intensity in Dulaney’s life, such as her mother’s battle with late stage Alzheimer’s disease. The story illustrates the powerful resilience of hope and offers an antidote for cynicism, countering the temptation to give up. Readers will find resonance with their own battles, and the need for perseverance in the face of despair.

The Parables of Sunlight beautifully weaves in Dulaney’s metaphor of the good, unseen teacher – or the concept of divine guidance – employing the image of a figure who acts with an intimate interest in all our choices, a source of wisdom which is available to everyone, encouraging us to persevere, choose more life, more hope and more courage.

The Parables of Sunlight will appeal to anyone who has ever loved an animal, a patch of land, or a community of loving souls. Imagine if Anne Lamott wrote Charlotte’s Web. Graced with the gorgeous interior illustrations by nationally recognized illustrator, Glenn Harrington, the book is a feast for the eyes as well as the soul.

Bio:

 MARGARET DULANEY is a playwright and essayist, and founder of the spoken word website Listenwell.org. Culled from a lifetime’s study of the ancients and mystics of all traditions, Margaret’s writings employ the ideas of Emerson, Lao Tzu, Hafiz, George MacDonald, Richard Rohr, Emanuel Swedenborg, Lorna Byrne, Marcus Aurelius, Shakespeare, Rudolph Steiner and many others.  

In 2010 Margaret founded the open faith, spoken word website ListenWell.Org. Each month Listen Well posts one ten-minute, professionally recorded essay designed to puzzle out a spiritual theme through story and metaphor. Listeners vary from practicing Buddhists to open-minded Christians, from those struggling to find a working tradition to those who are happy with their practice. Margaret records her writings at Maggie’s Farm recording studios in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. 

Learn more about Margaret Dulaney at www.listenwell.org and connect with her on Facebook.