By Kaylie Seed
The Tao of Flower was written by M.S. Lawrence and he shares a coming of age story about a young girl named Flower Green. Lawrence is a doting father himself and has written The Tao of Flower from the perspective of a father while focusing on Flower’s voice. The book emphasizes important themes such as relationships between a father and his daughter as well as perseverance and striving for your goals. These themes speak to a wide audience and are relatable topics regardless of the reader. The father and daughter feature a special relationship and in some ways portray the close friendships found between a pair of friends rather than a parent and child. Their bond is clear.
The Tao of Flower first takes the reader into the 2020 Olympics and focuses on Flower’s desire to win a gold medal in Tae Kwon Do. Not only does it focus on the Olympics but is also takes the reader into the mind of a girl on the precipice of her new life and figuring out what she will do with the rest of her life once the Olympics are finished. As The Tao of Flower progresses, Flower dives into a stronger fighting career and moves to China to do so, leaving her father behind but never forgetting the bond that they share.
Lawrence’s writing style is to the point and tends to inform the reader of the events as they are happening rather than unfolding them through tempered progression. This leads The Tao of Flower to be more plot-based than character driven. Also, the story uniquely shifts through time which while interesting can be a bit jarring.
This is Lawrence’s first novel and his first foray into the publishing world. He published this novel independently and is following his passion for writing and storytelling. Overall, The Tao of Flower offers an interesting look into the world of a Tae Kwon Do fighter while she navigates blossoming into a woman and exploring the relationship she shares with her father along the way.
Thank you to M.S. Lawrence for the gifted copy of this book.