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A review by leahjanespeare
Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell by Sy Montgomery
5.0
This is probably one of my top books I've read this year, and since I've read about 200 books this year, I hope that gives you an idea how much I loved it.
The title is perfect because I thought about two things while reading:
Time:
We are all experiencing time differently now from before 2020, before the world 'stopped' for a short while. To be introduced to a creature that has such a different time scale than our own is mind-boggling. Truly, I felt my mind adjusting to the fact that one turtle rescued then had the potential to live 175 more years. That is not something we humans can easily comprehend. It made me think about aging and how we spend our short time on the planet. To be face to face (or face to page) with a creature that for all intents and purposes won't die of natural causes (!!!) gives one pause and a new perspective on how to use our much-shorter time.
and Turtles:
What amazing creatures turtles are, I had no idea before opening this book. The stories in here are hard to read sometimes, about the horrible things that happen to turtles - that we do to them with our cars and roads, pollution, (and arrows!) but you'll come out the other side more empathetic and driven to help more than ever. Help turtles, other animals, each other, any and all of us who are trying to get by in this terrifying, overwhelming world. You will be inspired by the turtles' quirky personalities, their quirky rescuers, and reminded of the good in the world. The bravery that is needed to take on this neverending endeavor, like Natasha and Alexxia do every day. We have so much to learn from turtles (assuming they survive us) especially about resilience. I am changed for the better for having read this book.
There's something utterly captivating about Sy Montgomery's writing that makes it hard to pull away from. Her enchantment and wonder is catching. I am just as emotionally rocked as I was reading The Soul of an Octopus, if not more.
The title is perfect because I thought about two things while reading:
Time:
We are all experiencing time differently now from before 2020, before the world 'stopped' for a short while. To be introduced to a creature that has such a different time scale than our own is mind-boggling. Truly, I felt my mind adjusting to the fact that one turtle rescued then had the potential to live 175 more years. That is not something we humans can easily comprehend. It made me think about aging and how we spend our short time on the planet. To be face to face (or face to page) with a creature that for all intents and purposes won't die of natural causes (!!!) gives one pause and a new perspective on how to use our much-shorter time.
and Turtles:
What amazing creatures turtles are, I had no idea before opening this book. The stories in here are hard to read sometimes, about the horrible things that happen to turtles - that we do to them with our cars and roads, pollution, (and arrows!) but you'll come out the other side more empathetic and driven to help more than ever. Help turtles, other animals, each other, any and all of us who are trying to get by in this terrifying, overwhelming world. You will be inspired by the turtles' quirky personalities, their quirky rescuers, and reminded of the good in the world. The bravery that is needed to take on this neverending endeavor, like Natasha and Alexxia do every day. We have so much to learn from turtles (assuming they survive us) especially about resilience. I am changed for the better for having read this book.
There's something utterly captivating about Sy Montgomery's writing that makes it hard to pull away from. Her enchantment and wonder is catching. I am just as emotionally rocked as I was reading The Soul of an Octopus, if not more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Animal cruelty