Review of Picking Dandelions by Sarah Cunningham

 

“My conversion played out simply, as if I were extending to God a dandelion: the life of a scrawny kid pressed into His hand.”—one of the many quotable sentences from Picking Dandelions

I was a little girl who picked dandelions for anyone and everyone. As I grew older, I was fascinated that God would make a “weed” so beautiful. Therefore, I was easily pulled into Sarah Cunningham’s latest book, Picking Dandelions. And just because Sarah sent me a copy of the book to review, I resolved to remain objective. And my opinion is—this book is good. Really good.

Cunningham’s writing is refreshing, particularly because she’s a female contemporary—only two years older than me. I’m tired of reading about the spiritual journeys of 40 year-old men—give me a woman in her early 30’s any day. Cunningham masterfully weaves her faith story using the lifecycle of a dandelion to tie it all together. Plus, Cunningham is darn funny

I could relate to a lot of Cunningham’s experiences—from Christian school to beaded salvation bracelets to the crushing blow of September 11, 2001—and it was a sad, transforming, quirky, and enjoyable journey. I was surprised by how transparently Cunningham writes, especially in making a list of her character flaws. What woman, I asked myself, would put this into a book? More proof that Sarah Cunningham is a different kind of author—one that lives with her faith on her sleeve and dandelions in her hands.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Picking Dandelions by Sarah Cunningham. Don’t be fooled by the flowers, this is a great book for both men and women.

“I couldn’t have known the end result: that as dandelions give their white-feathered lives to the wind, the wind blows them—and us—to places where we grow in ways we never expected.”—Another favorite quote from Picking Dandelions