Book Review: The Legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree, a Woman, and the Struggle to Save the Redwoods by Julia Butterfly Hill

There are moments in our lives when we truly come to know and understand the relationship we have with creation and nature. Nothing is ever the same again. I, as well as this courageous activist and author, Julia Butterfly Hill in The Legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree, a Woman, and the Struggle to Save the Redwoods, in one life-changing, delicate moment in the Redwoods, understood this.

My only visit to the Redwoods was in 1992. I spent about twenty minutes hiking in and around the tallest and most beautiful living beings I had ever seen! My heart thumped, my eyes and ears opened wide, and my spirit became ALIVE. I felt a connection with all that lived in and around the trees. All my senses became alert. It was that moment in the Redwood forest that taught me the power of stillness and appreciation of nature and indescribable beauty. I wanted nothing more than to stay there forever. That day left a mark on my heart and soul that I will never forget.

Back to Julia Butterfly Hill…

It was the following words written by Hill when she first stepped foot into the Redwood forest, that caught my attention and enthusiasm because she expressed exactly what I had felt when I experienced it:

“For the first time, I really felt what it was like to be alive, to feel the connection of a life and its inherent truth – not the truth that is taught to us by so-called scientists or politicians or other human beings, but truth that exists within creation. . . . Gripped by the spirit of the forest, I dropped to my knees and started to sob. I sank my fingers into the layers of duff that smelled so sweet and so rich and so full of layers of life, then lay my face down and breathed it in. . . .  I could feel my whole being bursting forth into new life in this majestic cathedral. I sat and cried for a long time.”

– Julia Butterly Hill

The Legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree, a Woman, and the Struggle to Save the Redwoods by Julia Butterfly Hill (published in 2000) is a story of courage, love, and determination in fighting for what one believes. It is the story of how this incredible woman saved a two-thousand-year-old redwood tree named “Luna” from being cut down and destroyed by the Pacific Lumber Company.

The book explains the relationship we have with nature and how its destruction creates our own destruction and demise, physically and spiritually. It demonstrates, via the author’s experiences living in 180-foot Luna for 738 days, how we, as created beings, are all related.

Hill’s spiritual growth is extraordinary. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a lover and protector of nature, is an activist working to save our precious forests and lands, is curious about the relationship we have with nature and all living beings (including thousand plus-year-old trees), or is looking for undeniable inspiration.

A bit about the author, Julia Butterfly Hill:

Julia Butterfly Hill is a writer, poet, an activist, and an ethical vegan. She helped found the Circle of Life Foundation to promote the sustainability, restoration, and preservation of life. She has been the recipient of many honors and awards and speaks at environmental conferences worldwide.

To learn more about Julia or to purchase a copy of The Legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree, a Woman, and the Struggle to Save the Redwoods , visit juliabutterly.com. (I bought a used copy that was printed on recycled paper.)