Claire Dean





    Welcome!



    GIRLWOOD was not only a writing project for me, but has become a
    way of life.  This website has allowed me to indulge my love of plants
    and the woods, and I hope it will inspire you to get out in nature and
    see for yourself the magic and mystery that await you there.

    I've tried to make these pages both informative and fun.  There's
    information on the plants of GIRLWOOD, how to take care of yourself
    out in the wild, and a quiz to help you discover the color of your aura:
    Mine is violet!  A wonderful offshoot of GIRLWOOD has been the
    coming-of-age ceremonies I've held for my children and their friends,
    and I've included photos and information on the power of challenges,
    nature, and ritual under "Ceremonies."  On the page "Kids for the
    Woods" you’ll find some ideas for what YOU can do to help protect
    the environment.  Don’t think for a second that you are powerless.  
    Everyone can make a difference.

    If I had to pick one piece of wisdom to pass on, it would be this: Only
    joy works.  After years of writing adult novels that never made me or
    anyone else very happy, I finally kept a promise to my daughter to
    write a hopeful, magical story for her.   GIRLWOOD is the culmination
    of that promise, a book I wrote with the simple goal that it be
    something my daughter would enjoy and treasure.  And, ironically,
    this story that I wasn't even going to publish has become, in more
    ways than I could ever imagine, the most fulfilling book of my career.

    Only joy works. Don’t stop until you've found yours.

    Warmly,

    Claire Dean

    "This is exactly the kind of book I
    would have loved as a teenager."
    Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE
    Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute
    UN Messenger of Peace