A review by lia_the_imp
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

5.0

A very healing approach to human relationship with earth and ecosystems, bringing together science, traditional knowledge, and art. Reading this helps to take away the despair and anxiety that I feel with our present environmental crises, and instead focus on agency, responsibility, and gratitude. The chapter about the Windigo and over-consumption and the chapter on Maple Nation were some of my favorite essays. Beyond just being well-written, I think that this book also encourages the reader to have compassion and connection with the earth - I am currently reconsidering my relationship with my garden and my grocery store alike. Reciprocity, the honorable harvest, and the economy of gifts are concepts that feel so familiar now that I've learned them; I'm impressed at how beautifully Kimmerer ties everything together and I know that I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.