Customer Reviews

All My Relations: Living with Animals As Teachers and Healers

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Susan Chernak McElroy's fourth book, All My Relations, is an excellent contribution to deepening our understanding of human relationships with animals. Having read her previous books and attended a few of her presentations, I realize that she may be one of the most original and insightful observers and storytellers of human - animal relationships in a generation. Her stories tell of a powerful and mystical oneness that not only she experiences with animals and other creatures, but of a level of understanding and experience that are available to us all if we are willing to embrace a different way of being with Nature. The exercises she offers at the end of each story are simple yet valuable pathways to reach and experience this deeper level. I highly recommend All My Relations not just to those persons with animals, but to all people, and the sooner in life - the better, such as for school english and literature classes. Perhaps it is not too late for the current generations of adults to be empowered to achieve a paradigm shift in the way we view and behave concerning all of our relations in Nature. Susan Chernak McElroy's book can serve as an instrument for achieving this paradigm shift.

I am not a writer, but if I could write about my feelings toward animals this is the book I would write. The book helped me write my own thoughts with guidance at the end of each chapter.

This is truly a warm, thoughtful, intelligent book filled with new insight and ideas to creatively enhance minds, souls, and works with animals and nature. Anyone who has a yearning to feel a deeper connection with animals or nature needs to read this book. Susan not only shares gifts of animals, but truly delves deeply into our relations with all of God's creation. It is one of the most important books I have read. I was profoundly moved.
Bonnie Hess

Ms McElroy's books are ever a delight to read. I spent a lot of time with tissue close at hand during this one. The stories are enlightening and often reminded me of lessons that I had, or perhaps had not, learned from the animals in my own life.
The stories are not always cheerful, but they are thought-provoking if you see animals as more than property. Her story on the spiders in particular has made me take a different look at the creepy-crawly things that live in my house, which I'm sure they appreciate.

"All My Relations" by Susan Chernak McElroy is assuredly a book for someone who is a philosopher, or perhaps a shaman, or a Spiritualist, or an animal lover, or an animal activist, or a farmer, or an explorer, or someone who simply cares about things. No doubt McElroy marches to a bit of a different drummer but, actually, we all do. Some of us just have a harder time allowing ourselves to do that. Expect to find McElroy's sojourns refreshing.
Chiefly about her experiences and relations with animals related through the ancient educational validity of the story, "All My Relations" offers the reader myriad suggestions and opportunities for gentle reflection and introspection, and the assurance that their destinations and journeys are theirs...theirs to live and enjoy and grow from.
A bonus is that McElroy is an exceptionally talented writer and wordsmith who brings her especial warmth, candor and Humility to the reader in quite charming prose.