Stand the Sacred Tree: Journeys in Place and Memory

Norman P. Goldman is a retired Civil Law Notaire (Notary) who also
specializes in Montreal history and culture.

Born in Winnipeg, John Weier grew up on a peach farm near
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. After studying in India and England, he
worked in the Canadian Book publishing industry, played in the Duck
Mountain Bluegrass band, coached football, restored violins, and wrote
nine books. He is also became an avid birder and traveller.

In Stand the Sacred Tree, Weier chronicles his travels with his wife,
Mary, to Syria, Holland, Iceland, Denmark, and India. The catalyst for
many of his trips is his love of birds: “[they] are my prayer, my
sacred ritual, my sacred treed. That snow bunting, and that red-necked
phalarope, the Syrian serin; they are the map that plots my sacred
journey.”

Throughout his travels, Weier makes a concerted effort not to fall into
the common trap of making snap judgments and noticing only surfaces.
Instead, he constantly seeks to extract a more profound meaning from the
different landscapes, exotic birds, plants, and people he encounters
along the way. Weier believes that travel should be a learning
experience, and if we effectively employ all of our senses, we will be
handsomely rewarded. In addition, travel enables Weier and his wife to
experience quality time together, in which they can share their
perceptions of the places they visit.

With his keen sense of time and place, Weier has clearly grasped the
essential ingredients of good travel writing. His book is occasionally
slowed down by repetitiveness, but it leaves the reader with much to
ponder.