Why did I love this book?
Braiding Sweetgrass is one of my all-time favorites. It’s a love story to the earth. Robin Wall Kimmerer reflects on her life as an indigenous woman and scientist, and her central theme is that we must adopt a reciprocal relationship with the rest of the world if we are to halt the climate crisis. She says we can do that by building a relationship with nature – one that doesn’t just take but gives back. One of the best examples she uses for this is a garden – we give it some love through watering and weeding, and it loves us back by growing fruits, flowers, and vegetables for us to enjoy. I find myself returning to this book to lean into Kimmerer’s wisdom and lessons.
52 authors picked Braiding Sweetgrass as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
Called the work of "a mesmerizing storyteller with deep compassion and memorable prose" (Publishers Weekly) and the book that, "anyone interested in natural history, botany, protecting nature, or Native American culture will love," by Library Journal, Braiding Sweetgrass is poised to be a classic of nature writing. As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer asks questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces indigenous teachings that consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers. Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowledge together to take "us on a journey that is…