WINSTON WEEKLY©^[1]

March 16, 2025

Vol. 3, No. 11

CLOVER’S PROMISE

Clover is often associated with St. Patrick’s Day. The translation of shamrock means “little clover” or “young clover”. But clover inspires many magical and meaningful moments beyond March 17. “In clover” means a carefree life of ease, comfort, or prosperity. Clover is believed to ward off evil spirits, and to bring brides good luck in marriage.

Interested in brewing red clover tea and settling in with a book featuring clover in one sense or another? For the tea, place a handful of clover leaves and blossoms into boiling water that has just been removed from the stovetop or tea kettle and let steep for 5-7 minutes before drinking. For history buffs, curl up with Gregory Hugh Brown’s 2018 book, Fields of Clover: Better to Have Loved and Lost. Brown is the grandson of the book’s central character, Clover McKinley Plamer. Incorporating more than thirty years of ancestral research by his brother, Roger, Brown’s book begins with the 1919 marriage of Cora Lee Goodson and Clover Palmer. For those who appreciate a journey through life and death, check out Mikki Brammer’s novel, The Collected Regrets of Clover. The New York Times Book Review said in part, “This weird, lovely and satisfying novel [is] engaging and accessible…Clover’s emergence from a shuttered life is moving enough to elicit tears, and Brammer’s take on death and grieving is profound enough to feel genuinely instructional.”

For early readers, check out Elise Parsley’s hilarious 2021 book, How To Catch a Clover Thief. Thomas D. Tale’s 2024 book, Tales of Shamrocks and Magic: 5-Minute Stories for St. Patrick’s Day, is infused with Irish folklore and spirit, inspiring lasting meaningful moments. From The Leprechaun’s Lost Gold to Finnegan’s Rainbow Adventure, readers will learn the importance of courage, honesty, and teamwork.

THIS WEEK’S ACTIVITY

Check out your favorite library or bookstore or explore a new bookstore to learn more regarding the promise, history, magic, and meaning of clover.

---

[1] A Sunday newsletter and blog by Alysen Bayles to be shared with the appropriate attribute.