Donna only daydreams of pulling up stakes and starting a new life, until an impetuous decision catapults her on a soul-changing journey in the Amazon rainforest. Tested mentally, physically and spiritually it is hard for her to feel lost in the wilderness when pure joy pounds in her heart. Written with stirring poignancy, laugh-out-loud humour and deep compassion, Donna captures her real-life experiences of isolation, challenges, and the true beauty of the Amazon rainforest where she taps into a wordless knowledge to recognise it was her wild self who coerced her to travel over ten thousand miles so it could unleash itself.

 

Author

Donna Mulvenna is a horticulturist, whose journey as a nature writer began when she moved to the Amazon rainforest. Donna is a Fellow of the International League of Conservation Writers, and the author of Happiness is Green, Wild Roots: Coming Alive in the French Amazon, and The Awe of Nature. She co-authored All Things Breathe Alike: A Wildlife Anthology, and is the co-editor of Tales of the River: An Anthology of River Literature.

 
For more details about Donna Mulvenna visit her author page

 

SYNOPSIS:

 

 

After hitting rock-bottom, which in no-way could be her fault, and losing all she holds dear—her Louis Vuitton luggage and a pair of Jimmy Choo’s included—Donna steps into a pair of trekkers, throws her few remaining possessions into a carry-on and flees to the Amazon rainforest.

 
Once there she is forced to simplify her life—radically. Living in a shack—without air-conditioning, a plasma TV, or modern furnishings—that fails to keep anything out, including the weather; and being surrounded by some of the most pristine forest in the world, it is inevitable that nature elbows its way back into her life.

 
When she accepts a month-long work assignment in the remote jungle, she expects to catalogue plant specimens and courier samples, but instead she receives a spiritual vision that rocks her existence and alters the course of her life.

 
With a new divide between her once modern, comfortable life and a new existence of a non-material reality, Donna’s spiritually transformed self leaves little room for the unenlightened other—including friends who have plenty of doubt about an experience that can’t be proven.

 
Thrust into a natural world where the demands of everyday life seem superficial and without meaning; where there is no time—minutes can be hours, stress is virtually non-existent—passionfruit juice is a great remedy, and the world is wonderfully whole—everything she wants and needs is already given, Donna realises she’s discovered an essential part of herself that was always missing.

 
But where does she go from there?

 
Between befriending an Agouti rat, forming a cherished relationship with a tree, and feeling humiliatingly lost in the jungle, Donna emerges as an ‘Earth-Mother’—raw nature having saved her from herself. Armed with a sense of purpose, strong values, and a demeanour of calmness and peace, she discovers what it means to be truly happy.

 
END

 

Author: Donna Mulvenna
Release date: September 1, 2018
RRP: AU$29.99 (pbk), 9.99 (ebk)
Territory: English language market
Format: Paperback and eBook
Size: 203 x 128 mm
Pages: 222pp
ISBNs: 978-1-925856-00-2 (pbk), 978-1-925856-01-9 (ebk)

 

Praise for Happiness is Green

‘Rich, vibrant, and captivating like the Amazon rainforest. This dive into the wild will inspire you to rekindle a connection with the natural world, and yourself, anywhere you are.’ —Sylvia Heike, Pushcart

 
‘Happiness is Green is a beautifully written book of one woman’s journey to find true health by reconnecting with nature. Donna Mulvenna’s story of her powerful relationship with a tree who shared so much wisdom with her is so touching and moving. This is such an important book for the times we live in. And it is a truly a stunning story!!’— Sandra Ingerman, Soul Retrieval

 

Reader Discounts and Giveaways

Offer 1:

 
25 percent discount (plus postage) on print or ebook copies of Happiness is Green, when purchased direct from Stormbird Press Store, with the following coupon at checkout: sp-happiness-25
Offer 2:

 
Free eBook copies of Happiness is Green, when downloaded through the Stormbird BookFunnel Page.