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Within seconds - seriously, seconds - of finishing this book, I had Google pulled up to learn more about several of the stories told here. You will want to do the same.
Eliot Stein's Custodians of Wonder provides a look at ten international, historical traditions and customs, and those who keep them alive - the custodians. The structure of his narrative is not easily classified, which is part of what makes this book so special. It's part-memoir, part-history, part-anthropology, and part-biography. Stein was able to weave together the elements of each story in such a way that transcends a typical recount. After the first chapter, I really took my time with this book, because it was so clear from the start that each chapter deserves one's full attention and curiosity.
When writing about cultures so far removed from your own, it can be a long, complicated dance of trying to figure out what information to include, what to leave out, and, perhaps most important, the tone to take in your prose. Each chapter has the same structure: an introduction to the primary custodian and their tradition, a substantial history of the region & importance of the respective tradition, Stein's experience engaging with and learning of the tradition, and some closing remarks about the fleeting future of the tradition and its cultural implications. I swear, as I was reading this book, I would think to myself "So.. what about this? Why this?" Not long after, most of the questions I had were explored. Though this is the first work by Stein that I've read (he's a journalist at BBC), it is very clear to me that he's an experienced cultural journalist, and I could tell that he put serious work into what exactly to include in each chapter.
One of the aspects of this book that I loved most was the absolute delicacy and grace that Stein assigned to each custodian, culture, and tradition. There's a lot to be learned from this book - not just about a specific, special tree in Germany, Sardinia's most prized dish, or the last night watchman in Scandinavia, but also what it means to put home and history above yourself. In an age where so many of us are possessed by the individual (ourselves), it can be difficult to imagine a life where we put a collective past and practice above our own interests. The introduction to this book, which I returned to several times while reading, did a brilliant job of contextualizing each tradition within the global stage at large, but even more so, reminded us why such traditions are so important to our present human experience and have been for centuries. It was humbling and it was grounding.
My criticisms of this book are minor. While the introduction was fantastic, I would have liked to learn more of Stein's methods when it came to researching this book - the travel, the language barriers, any difficulties, etc. While each chapter includes some anecdotes about his time travelling to each place, I wish we got to learn more of the steps that got us to this book. Additionally, I think a conclusion would have served the book well; however, I can imagine that a lot of what was written in the introduction would also show up in a conclusion. Also, I wish some photos and maps were included. Since I read an ARC of this book, the publisher may be saving images for the final printed edition, but I am not sure. Regardless, taking the extra step to Google wasn't too bad at all.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is naturally curious and wants to learn more about cultures different than their own. I think a lot of us read both fiction and non-fiction to escape our own turbulent times, and this is a perfect book to do so. While Stein does not shy away from some of the negative prospects in each story, the tone of this book is positive, encompassing, and very compelling. Reading this was one of the best experiences this year.
Thank you very much to St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.
Eliot Stein's Custodians of Wonder provides a look at ten international, historical traditions and customs, and those who keep them alive - the custodians. The structure of his narrative is not easily classified, which is part of what makes this book so special. It's part-memoir, part-history, part-anthropology, and part-biography. Stein was able to weave together the elements of each story in such a way that transcends a typical recount. After the first chapter, I really took my time with this book, because it was so clear from the start that each chapter deserves one's full attention and curiosity.
When writing about cultures so far removed from your own, it can be a long, complicated dance of trying to figure out what information to include, what to leave out, and, perhaps most important, the tone to take in your prose. Each chapter has the same structure: an introduction to the primary custodian and their tradition, a substantial history of the region & importance of the respective tradition, Stein's experience engaging with and learning of the tradition, and some closing remarks about the fleeting future of the tradition and its cultural implications. I swear, as I was reading this book, I would think to myself "So.. what about this? Why this?" Not long after, most of the questions I had were explored. Though this is the first work by Stein that I've read (he's a journalist at BBC), it is very clear to me that he's an experienced cultural journalist, and I could tell that he put serious work into what exactly to include in each chapter.
One of the aspects of this book that I loved most was the absolute delicacy and grace that Stein assigned to each custodian, culture, and tradition. There's a lot to be learned from this book - not just about a specific, special tree in Germany, Sardinia's most prized dish, or the last night watchman in Scandinavia, but also what it means to put home and history above yourself. In an age where so many of us are possessed by the individual (ourselves), it can be difficult to imagine a life where we put a collective past and practice above our own interests. The introduction to this book, which I returned to several times while reading, did a brilliant job of contextualizing each tradition within the global stage at large, but even more so, reminded us why such traditions are so important to our present human experience and have been for centuries. It was humbling and it was grounding.
My criticisms of this book are minor. While the introduction was fantastic, I would have liked to learn more of Stein's methods when it came to researching this book - the travel, the language barriers, any difficulties, etc. While each chapter includes some anecdotes about his time travelling to each place, I wish we got to learn more of the steps that got us to this book. Additionally, I think a conclusion would have served the book well; however, I can imagine that a lot of what was written in the introduction would also show up in a conclusion. Also, I wish some photos and maps were included. Since I read an ARC of this book, the publisher may be saving images for the final printed edition, but I am not sure. Regardless, taking the extra step to Google wasn't too bad at all.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is naturally curious and wants to learn more about cultures different than their own. I think a lot of us read both fiction and non-fiction to escape our own turbulent times, and this is a perfect book to do so. While Stein does not shy away from some of the negative prospects in each story, the tone of this book is positive, encompassing, and very compelling. Reading this was one of the best experiences this year.
Thank you very much to St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.