Two Trees and Twelve Fruits That Will Change Your Life

Clarion Rating: 3 out of 5

“There are two main reasons for writing this book,” writes Michelle-Lee Young. “First, of course, God revealed to me the contents and gave me the vision to do so; therefore, out of obedience to him, I must write. The second reason is that our bodies need to be healthy in order to do a work in these last days.”

In Two Tree and Twelve Fruits That Will Change Your Life Forever, Young believes she has important messages to impart about health, based on her understanding of the Bible. Her book about the healing effects of certain plants combines some carefully garnered scientific facts, some popular beliefs, and her personal dreams and visions.

Young begins by discussing the spiritual nature of trees, considering it no coincidence that a tree figures strongly in the story of Adam and Eve. That tree, she explains, symbolizes sin and its consequences, whereas the other tree, the tree of life, is rooted in Jesus himself, and baptized Christians are its grafted branches.

Inspired by a verse from the Book of Revelation that mentions “twelve manner of fruits,” Young then sets out to identify these fruits. Some are mentioned often in the Bible: figs, grapes, apples. A couple, such as quince and papaya, were chosen by the author based on a combination of opinion and intuition. As an example, she says of almonds, “they are definitely a Bible food,” but she is not “willing to qualify” them as one of the twelve. And seeing an unusual number of pomegranates for sale in her local market, she takes this as a sign from God that she was right to include that fruit in her book.

The book cover is attractively designed. There are appropriate black-and-white photographs and graphics throughout. There is an orderly progression of the central themes, beginning with Young’s ideas about trees. Some themes are based on common facts; some on religious beliefs. The author uses many evocative metaphors—for example, tree roots go deepest in the driest ground, just as we need to strengthen our “roots” when our lives are most challenging.

Each of twelve chapters describes the composition and healing properties of a particular fruit, with information being drawn from many sources. This segment is conventionally factual and practical, and comprises about half the book. There are a handful of recipes at the end. The rest of the book is largely taken up with Young’s experiences: she had, she believes, a miraculous healing from eczema, and she has helped to foster health in her disabled infant by means of her plant-based cures.

Young writes exuberantly, sincerely, and sometimes poetically. But the text contains notable sentence fragments, such as when she writes, “Just as there is only one door to get on the ark that saved Noah and his family from death in the flood that covered the entire earth.” These mistakes are frequent enough to impact the flow of the book.

Though the facts presented are not new, Young’s method of creating correspondences among them has an ingenuous feeling and could attract readers seeking fresh advice about promoting health with plants.

Two Trees and Twelve Fruits That Will Change Your Life will be appreciated most by those who share the author’s religious views.

Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott

Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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