Review of Conversations with a Moonflower by Christine T. Hall

Conversations with a Moonflower is a short book with a huge impact. I read this book over General Conference weekend and it fit right in with my mood. I always seem to be more receptive to words of inspiration this time of year. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised and more.

Here is a short blurb from the website Conversations with a Moonflower.

What on earth had just happened to me? It was a plant, for heaven's sake! And with the exception of the bright yellow blooms, it looked more like a weed than anything you would purposely put in a garden. But this mysterious plant had captivated me, and I couldn't wait to tell the others what I had seen.

Chris's life is anything but peaceful when she returns to Carraugus County to clean out her deceased grandmother's home. But her life changes forever when an Amish woman invites her to watch a moonflower open. Chris never would have believed that a simple plant could lead her on such a remarkable journey -- a journey that would remind her of truths she had long ago forgotten.

This debut by Chris Hall is guaranteed to uplift and inspire long after the story ends.


  Conversations with a Moonflower gave me incentive to stop and reflect on my life. The message that Chris shares in this book is to slow down, ask questions and then listen for answers. In today's world we all are running at such a frantic pace that most of us don't take the time to stop and look around at the things that should be the most important to us.

One of my most favorite chapters in the book is called, A Twenty-eight-bloom Day. The Moonflower in Chris's garden one night produced twenty-eight blossoms. As Chris "chatted" with her Moonflower after it had bloomed, she asked it if it was worn out after it's twenty-eight bloom night. The flower agrees that it is tired and it needs to rest-especially after a big project. The plant then gives very good advice:

"You can't keep up a twenty-eight-bloom pace for too long or you will wither."

Chris went on to explain how she likes to do several big projects at the same time. She likes having twenty-eight bloom days. I love the answer that the Moonflower gives to Chris:

"There's nothing wrong with twenty-eight-bloom days...as long as you are sure that you have days with only a few blossoms-or even no blossoms-from time to time."

We need to learn to pay attention to our own bodies and minds and we will know when we need to take it easy. This was such an important message for me. I always try to do so much. I work full-time as a teacher, I have two children I am parenting as a single mom, I want to keep up with my reading and blogging and make sure to spend time taking care of my self by exercising every day. There are days that I feel so tired I can't even move. This made me realize that I need to prioritize what needs to be done each day.

Conversations with a Moonflower is filled with solid advice to make our lives better. For such a small book, with only 120 pages, it is huge with heart and soul. I was left with such joy and hope about my life and about incorporating some important changes in my life. I recommend Conversations with a Moonflower to anyone that has a beating heart; in other words, this book is for everyone. I can assure you that you can't but help be changed, in some way, after reading this book.

You can purchase Conversations with a Moonflower at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and Cedar Fort. You can receive free Moonflower seeds at Conversations with a Moonflower.com.

Meet the Author 

Chris Hall's creativity and energy were evident in her earliest childhood. Her grade school teachers often commented, "She has tremendous energy, if we could just get it channeled." Her parents instilled in her a belief that good can come from almost every experience, and that belief, along with an ability to see humor in much of everyday life, proved invaluable as she and her husband raised their eight children.

Chris has been a presenter for many years for FranklinCovey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, Becoming a Love and Logic Parent, and Becoming A Love and Logic Teacher. The gift of a moonflower plant that she received from one of her grandmother's Amish neighbors resulted in Conversations with a Moonflower, her first published work.

Now empty nesters, she and her husband, Duane, find great joy in spending time with their children and grandchildren. They are still amazed upon returning home from work each night to find the kitchen has remained clean all day.

****The review copy of Conversations with a  Moonflower was given to me from Cedar Fort. In no way did this influence the review that was given.