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A review by unsuccessfulbookclub
Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science by Jessica Hernandez, PhD
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Extremely important topics and I’m glad Hernandez took this project on… but I wish she had had a better editor. I switched to the audio about 75% through and that was a much better format.
The book has many repeated words (however, oftentimes, continue) as well as repeated sentences. The style feels like someone speaking very informally, so it’s no surprise that the audio just *works better*. Additionally, the way the book is structured with headlines and sub headlines reads like an academic paper or a term paper that one might write. A solid edit could really make the prose on-page shine, and it’s such a shame that the publisher or Hernandez’s agent didn’t get that for her, because in listening to her narrate this book, her voice and style shine, and her passion for the topics she covers comes through very strongly.
I liked the in-depth stories about Central America and the Indigenous people throughout the Americas as well as the multiple intersectional points of view that Hernandez brought to the table. I found Hernandez’s interviews with her family and Indigenous activists valuable and interesting. She covers so many stories and topics that I have never encountered, and this book feels important. Recommended ON AUDIO.
The book has many repeated words (however, oftentimes, continue) as well as repeated sentences. The style feels like someone speaking very informally, so it’s no surprise that the audio just *works better*. Additionally, the way the book is structured with headlines and sub headlines reads like an academic paper or a term paper that one might write. A solid edit could really make the prose on-page shine, and it’s such a shame that the publisher or Hernandez’s agent didn’t get that for her, because in listening to her narrate this book, her voice and style shine, and her passion for the topics she covers comes through very strongly.
I liked the in-depth stories about Central America and the Indigenous people throughout the Americas as well as the multiple intersectional points of view that Hernandez brought to the table. I found Hernandez’s interviews with her family and Indigenous activists valuable and interesting. She covers so many stories and topics that I have never encountered, and this book feels important. Recommended ON AUDIO.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, and War