Reviews

Geflochtenes Süßgras. Die Weisheit der Pflanzen by Robin Wall Kimmerer

esouthwest's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

There are very few times I've cried during a nonfiction book. This had me in tears, multiple times. 

Beautifully written, this book does not stray away from the despair of climate change, but it does offer a dose of hope. 

marmitecake's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Colonisation, Suicide, Animal death, and Blood

parula's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective

5.0

weltraumpiratin's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

clau_story's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

3.5

louiseanna92's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.25

steflovesbooks's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

5.0

moreadsabook's review against another edition

4.25

an incredible read and it was such a great experience on audio because kimmerer just has such a great voice for this. I understand people who thought this was too repetitive. I think it was alright for me because I stretched this out over the course of many months.

sydneypf's review against another edition

4.0

This memoir weaves together personal narrative, ecology, and indigenous stories that, in its quiet way, provides an antidote to the pains of the modern capitalist world view. Robin shows us that there is another way, a way of living in reciprocity with the land that is both abundant and healing.

gelert's review against another edition

informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

I really thought I'd give this book 5*. 

So much of it thrums with life using personal anecdotes and botanical knowledge to paint vivid pictures of times and places. The stories of strawberry and maple are to me the best part of this book.

Unfortunately in the last section - burning sweetgrass - the reading becomes a chore. While it was interesting to learn about the plight of Lake Onondaga I found the windigo metaphor fell very flat.

I am grateful to Robin Wall Kimmmerer for sharing her perspective and it is what suffuses the rest of the book with wonder. But when she turns to beat the drum of dread I can't help but feel like screaming about the wonder our modern world is capable of and the sheer enormity of our potential. The myth of degrowth is immensely harmful.

It is easy to wax poetic about a lost idyll and lament pollution but the miracle of the green revolution was feeding a population that has now surpassed 8 billion. Fewer and fewer people know the fear or a hunger moon. That hunger moon will become a distant dream. I reject an eden in which people can starve.

Still I am very glad to have read this book even if it fell short at the end it ran a good race.