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The Parables Of Sunlight
A memoir of a neglected farm, an abandoned and injured horse and the prevailing resilience of hope. This paperback edition includes special color illustrations by artist Glenn Harrington.
190 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2020
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97 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 24, 2022
I don’t know what I expected when I purchased this digital book, but I’m glad I did. I still can’t quite articulate what her point was in writing it except that she came along side me and somehow saw my grief, deep sadness, questions and ranting. She gently took my hand, walked with me, and told me stories from her own life that didn’t belittle or judge my own story and let me know I’m not alone. She let me know there’s a path out of the darkness of loss, that it will be my own, and I can be loved and supported while I find it. This book has meant the world to me. I’m definitely checking out more of what she’s written.
July 29, 2025
What I first enjoyed about this book were the feel-good stories of Margaret Delaney's interactions with the natural world. From walks in the woods to her pets and horses her respect and love for the natural world is deep and genuine. The thread that weaves through these stories is a great deal surrounding the uptight, frightened horse Allie. Margaret came to adopt Allie almost against her better wishes. Despite this, we read how Margaret suffered almost as much as Allie when the horse was severely injured by a kick from another horse. Margaret explains throughout how she looks to the "teacher" for wisdom and direction. At first I thought this was the Christian God. But she doesn't seem to restrict where she looks for guidance.
Margaret mentions being a Stoic, Taoist, Sufi, Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim. Not that she worships any or all of these religions. But looks to them for wisdom and inspiration. She also relies on Ralph Waldo Emerson, George MacDonald, C. S. Lewis, and Thomas from the Gnostic Gospels, the Dhammapada, the Tao Two Ching, Rilke and Marcus Aurelius. There's more. She sometimes seeks out the mystics such as Swedenborg, Leo Tzu or Hafiz. Sometimes she just wants a word, so she keeps a box to reach into which contains tarot cards, runes, the I Ching. She calls them her "handy pile of words". Augury she says, "taken in periodic doses, not only illuminates, but serves to reassure the questioner that her concerns are not hers alone. Sometimes that is all she needs to hear."
In the search for positivity and hope these are probably all good. As of follower of Christ Jesus it did make me see her in a different way.
Not worse or better but different.
I don't want you to get the wrong idea and think that Margaret Delaney is weird or a kook. She simply has a wide view of who God is, how He communicates with us and His absolute goodness.
"How huge is one soul to God! The effort that goes into the grand scheme to bring joy and enlightenment to every single one of us is unfathomable."
Margaret mentions being a Stoic, Taoist, Sufi, Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim. Not that she worships any or all of these religions. But looks to them for wisdom and inspiration. She also relies on Ralph Waldo Emerson, George MacDonald, C. S. Lewis, and Thomas from the Gnostic Gospels, the Dhammapada, the Tao Two Ching, Rilke and Marcus Aurelius. There's more. She sometimes seeks out the mystics such as Swedenborg, Leo Tzu or Hafiz. Sometimes she just wants a word, so she keeps a box to reach into which contains tarot cards, runes, the I Ching. She calls them her "handy pile of words". Augury she says, "taken in periodic doses, not only illuminates, but serves to reassure the questioner that her concerns are not hers alone. Sometimes that is all she needs to hear."
In the search for positivity and hope these are probably all good. As of follower of Christ Jesus it did make me see her in a different way.
Not worse or better but different.
I don't want you to get the wrong idea and think that Margaret Delaney is weird or a kook. She simply has a wide view of who God is, how He communicates with us and His absolute goodness.
"How huge is one soul to God! The effort that goes into the grand scheme to bring joy and enlightenment to every single one of us is unfathomable."
January 30, 2021
Upon her move from Manhattan to Bucks County, Pennsylvania author Margaret Delaney moves from city living to rural life on a 100 acre farm. The farm is bound to come with difficulties and one of the biggest is an injured horse named Allie. As Margaret recounts the many challenges she has faced on the farm, she looks back on the lessons that every obstacle has taught her and how they may help her see the brighter side with Allie.
The Parables of Sunlight is a heartfelt memoir that just about anyone can relate to who has gone through a rough time. Dulaney takes the reader on a journey of hope as she describes the arduous healing process with Allie and the emotional toll it took on her. With enticing writing, Dulaney examines her faith and looks back on other occasions that fate has intervened in her life at challenging times to create a lens of hope while working with Allie. As a horse enthusiast and animal lover, I was intrigued and inspired with Allie's healing process and the methods used. The whole process provided a unique way to examine life, death, grief and relationship in life.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
The Parables of Sunlight is a heartfelt memoir that just about anyone can relate to who has gone through a rough time. Dulaney takes the reader on a journey of hope as she describes the arduous healing process with Allie and the emotional toll it took on her. With enticing writing, Dulaney examines her faith and looks back on other occasions that fate has intervened in her life at challenging times to create a lens of hope while working with Allie. As a horse enthusiast and animal lover, I was intrigued and inspired with Allie's healing process and the methods used. The whole process provided a unique way to examine life, death, grief and relationship in life.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
February 23, 2021
The basic concept of the story...
...a true to life account of the big change their move from city to fields started, the obstacles placed in their path, and ultimately the steady course they developed over time. Life was not without complications, or hardships, but was met with a questioning mind, and a steadfast heart. She took the hiccups along the way and turned them into moments of reflection that further grew her both as a person and in her beliefs.
Thing is...
...it wasn't exactly what I thought I was getting into when I first started. I mean, I guess nothing really ever is unless you, yourself, wrote the work. In this case, I thought I was getting more life story, and challenges, when in fact I ended up with a fraction of that and a large dose of why we wander through this life, why things happen, and how to put them in perspective.
In the end...
...it was still a work worth the read, but I do believe it would appeal more to those exploring their faith or beliefs than those that are more focused on the assigned genre. The time she spent purging the farm of the darkness that had seeped in, the heart she gave however unwillingly (at first) to the healing of a horse she was bound and determined to stay detached from, and the many life paths she crossed with throughout the years, all added up to a memorable journey. One can certainly take a page from her work as to the peacefulness that can be found when we allow ourselves the time to breathe, the time to think, the time to really feel ourselves and know that we are on the path that our heart truly finds fulfilling.
**copy received for review; opinions are my own
...a true to life account of the big change their move from city to fields started, the obstacles placed in their path, and ultimately the steady course they developed over time. Life was not without complications, or hardships, but was met with a questioning mind, and a steadfast heart. She took the hiccups along the way and turned them into moments of reflection that further grew her both as a person and in her beliefs.
Thing is...
...it wasn't exactly what I thought I was getting into when I first started. I mean, I guess nothing really ever is unless you, yourself, wrote the work. In this case, I thought I was getting more life story, and challenges, when in fact I ended up with a fraction of that and a large dose of why we wander through this life, why things happen, and how to put them in perspective.
In the end...
...it was still a work worth the read, but I do believe it would appeal more to those exploring their faith or beliefs than those that are more focused on the assigned genre. The time she spent purging the farm of the darkness that had seeped in, the heart she gave however unwillingly (at first) to the healing of a horse she was bound and determined to stay detached from, and the many life paths she crossed with throughout the years, all added up to a memorable journey. One can certainly take a page from her work as to the peacefulness that can be found when we allow ourselves the time to breathe, the time to think, the time to really feel ourselves and know that we are on the path that our heart truly finds fulfilling.
**copy received for review; opinions are my own
December 26, 2020
The book starts with Margaret and her husband leaving Manhattan, where they had been living for 18 years, and moving to a 100-acre farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It progresses as different events happen in Margaret’s life, the most prominent among which are the arrival of an abandoned racehorse Allie and the death of her mother.
The book’s title is from the Dylan Thomas poem ‘Poem in October’, where the narrator sees a child walking with his mother through parables of sunlight. Margaret imagines that she walks along with a compassionate teacher/guide all her life, as he lets her set the pace and notices things along with her.
She navigates through many difficult phases of her life. Although she struggles to remain optimistic and make sense of everything, she is empathetic to all living beings. She believes in different religious philosophies and reads many books that guide her spiritually.
I liked Margaret’s thought processes as they resemble some of mine – especially those about death and how to treat animals. The parables or short symbolic stories she uses to illustrate some truths/morals/religious principles are also quite interesting.
It is a profound, beautiful book, and I enjoyed it immensely. However, it might not appeal to everyone.
Note: Thanks to Katie Schnack of Smith Publicity, Inc., for giving me a free ARC of the book via NetGalley. I am leaving a review voluntarily.
The book’s title is from the Dylan Thomas poem ‘Poem in October’, where the narrator sees a child walking with his mother through parables of sunlight. Margaret imagines that she walks along with a compassionate teacher/guide all her life, as he lets her set the pace and notices things along with her.
She navigates through many difficult phases of her life. Although she struggles to remain optimistic and make sense of everything, she is empathetic to all living beings. She believes in different religious philosophies and reads many books that guide her spiritually.
I liked Margaret’s thought processes as they resemble some of mine – especially those about death and how to treat animals. The parables or short symbolic stories she uses to illustrate some truths/morals/religious principles are also quite interesting.
It is a profound, beautiful book, and I enjoyed it immensely. However, it might not appeal to everyone.
Note: Thanks to Katie Schnack of Smith Publicity, Inc., for giving me a free ARC of the book via NetGalley. I am leaving a review voluntarily.
November 15, 2022
I'm not a religious person and struggle with believing. I was moved by this book and by her examples of faith. The example of life as a journey down a river really touched me as I feel like I have been struggling against the current most of my life. I have always been a "you can't tell me what to do" kind of person and her example shows me that when we swim against the current it holds us in one place and that it might be easier to let go and allow ourselves to just feel as we pass through the rough spots.
March 16, 2025
Horse Sense
The writing drew me in. Reasons for Allie's suffering for months, Margaret's seemingly detached-bordering on-uncaring approach to not only Allie but her move to and subsequent ongoing life in PA presented a darker, cloudy reality and confused me. The constant reference to higher meaning in writings and philosophies of and by other authors insinuated to me a need to escape from her need to be in nature. That was confusing for me. The last few chapters offered a more hopeful mood. I could not feel a true spiritual understanding, or connection to nature much less horses nor other humans working on the farm. The scammer renter?!? Why introduced?
At the moment of birth of a foal, the owner breathing into one nostril, if all post delivery has gone well, unites owner and foal. A connection might have been made about horses' nostrils, horses' sense of smell if used in the supposed long lost sibling of Allie's with Allie?rubbing noses near the end. Margaret appears for me as a visitor to the farm, the land, the horse, her life in PA.
In general, I had difficulty believing this was a memoir. I recommend this book for those who like to ride horses, visit horses and ride at other person's horse farms
The writing drew me in. Reasons for Allie's suffering for months, Margaret's seemingly detached-bordering on-uncaring approach to not only Allie but her move to and subsequent ongoing life in PA presented a darker, cloudy reality and confused me. The constant reference to higher meaning in writings and philosophies of and by other authors insinuated to me a need to escape from her need to be in nature. That was confusing for me. The last few chapters offered a more hopeful mood. I could not feel a true spiritual understanding, or connection to nature much less horses nor other humans working on the farm. The scammer renter?!? Why introduced?
At the moment of birth of a foal, the owner breathing into one nostril, if all post delivery has gone well, unites owner and foal. A connection might have been made about horses' nostrils, horses' sense of smell if used in the supposed long lost sibling of Allie's with Allie?rubbing noses near the end. Margaret appears for me as a visitor to the farm, the land, the horse, her life in PA.
In general, I had difficulty believing this was a memoir. I recommend this book for those who like to ride horses, visit horses and ride at other person's horse farms
August 17, 2021
I enjoyed this book greatly. There is wonderful calmness to the stories here. I often listen to her monthly posts at listenwell.org. I could hear the pace and intonations in her voice as I read it. This is a collection of experiences of openness and caring, lessons and learnings about a farm, some of the persons on or near the farm and animals, especially a horse named Allie. As she talked about her walks thru the forest, I kept trying to remember the last time I took a fall thru such a place.
April 19, 2022
A Lovely Book
I didn't quite know what to expect when I started this book. It drew me in quickly with its simple yet inspiring messages about living and having faith in what is a scary and troubling world. I especially loved the stories about animals the author has known and what she learned from them. Well worth the read.
I didn't quite know what to expect when I started this book. It drew me in quickly with its simple yet inspiring messages about living and having faith in what is a scary and troubling world. I especially loved the stories about animals the author has known and what she learned from them. Well worth the read.
March 13, 2022
This book won’t be for everyone but I absolutely loved it. The writing is sort of breezy and swirling and the topics of animals, nature, faith, trust, healing, light etc etc sort of swirl in and out of the book in a peaceful way. An encouraging, I spiting, peaceful, mysterious read.
January 29, 2024
This book was... glorious. Sunlit. Effervescent. Every time I came back to read more I was intrigued and uplifted. I didn't want it to end. It felt mystical. I'm planning on reading it again very soon to try to absorb more of the wisdom that was within its pages.
March 2, 2021
Really enjoy this author.
June 1, 2022
3.5 audio book although there were passages of this book that spoke to me and gave me food for thought, the rest not so much...
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews