Description

Once, When I Was Tree by Maya Wyld

Once, When I Was Tree is a collection of autobiographical short stories exploring a life lived in profound connection with the living world. From a barefoot childhood in the Bush of New Caledonia to mystical encounters in the jungles of Costa Rica, each story reveals moments of insight, wonder, and communion with teachers and siblings from other species, and a few human companions.This is not a book where nature serves as mere backdrop. It presents a world that is alive, sentient, and wise – from coyotes’ songs to ants’ quiet rituals, from swaying trees to the buzzing of mosquitoes. Each encounter illuminates perception, connection, and transformation, showing how attentiveness can shift the human heart and mind.Spanning different times and places, the stories weave into a cohesive mandala, exploring interspecies communication, soul unraveling, and the intelligence inherent in the living world. They invite readers to reconsider boundaries between self and other and to sense the intricate web that connects all life.Lyrical, vivid, and occasionally uncanny, Once, When I Was Tree will appeal to readers of memoir, nature writing, and spiritual reflection. It is for anyone who has ever wondered if the world is alive, how humans might belong to it, and what it means to truly listen, learn, and participate in the Great Symphony of Things.