In the short, graceful WINGS & ROOTS: Wisdom from a Forgotten Garden, Capella Cao uses elements of Chinese proverbs to tell the story of a young swallow’s early struggles. It learns how to fly while waiting for its parents, who have seemingly abandoned it. The setting is a garden whose inhabitants include a percipient old clay pot, a thoughtful lotus tree, and a cantankerous gecko. Together they guide the bird through the changing seasons. Meanwhile, an unnamed human tends the garden, looking for a way to heal his broken heart.
WINGS & ROOTS is a story about time, patience, and growth. Using metaphors taken from the natural world and focusing on a cultivated garden, Cao shows how true peace and wisdom can come to those who wait with their eyes and hearts open. As the text notes: “The garden does not keep time by the ticking of a clock. It keeps time by the angle of the sun and the changes of the season.” Here, the passing of time is told by shoots forming, by flowers blooming, by the harvesting of fruit. Both the swallow and the gardener grow spiritually as the year moves on, guided by the cycles of nature. Even the darker hours are used to take stock and plan, to have hope in what the future can hold. “Winter isn’t for doing,” the Clay Pot states in one of its many wise pronouncements, “it is for becoming. It stores the strength for spring.”
“The best way to thrive is to help what’s around you thrive,” explains the Clay Pot to the Swallow in another life lesson, brought about by watching bees collecting nectar. This is another example of the simple, wise words that are scattered throughout this very well-designed book. The tone and themes are further supported by unfussy, brush-style illustrations that frame the story.
After the delightful tale of the swallow concludes, the second part of the book is given over to a generous explanation of the roots of the many proverbs the author has used in creating her story. There is also a section outlining the natural rhythms of “The 24 Solar Terms,” and how these (which originally guided Chinese farmers on when to sow, reap, and rest) informed the structuring of the book's narrative. Overall, there are many reasons to enjoy WINGS & ROOTS.
Capella Cao's WINGS & ROOTS: Wisdom from a Forgotten Garden has something to offer people of all ages. Much as new seasons change a garden, the passing of time will reveal new insights to the reader.
~ Kent Lane for IndieReader