Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these lenses of knowledge together to show that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings are we capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learning to give our own gifts in return.
For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #46: Featuring Indigenous culture )
2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge
2024 Diversity Reading Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
The Reason
This has been on my shelf for ages. I heard so much praise for it and I finally decided to read it.
The Quotes
“In some Native languages the term for plants translates to “those who take care of us.”
“Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.”
“We need acts of restoration, not only for polluted waters and degraded lands, but also for our relationship to the world. We need to restore honor to the way we live, so that when we walk through the world we don’t have to avert our eyes with shame, so that we can hold our heads up high and receive the respectful acknowledgment of the rest of the earth’s beings.”
The Narrator(s)
Robin Wall Kimmerer. Her voice is so gentle and soothing, I absolutely loved listening to her. She made me feel so connected to her, to the earth, to the stories she was telling.
My Thoughts
This book was longer than I expected, but it was such a beautiful meandering journey. It was really soothing to listen to and I felt like I was in another dreamy and idealistic world. I felt really connected to the earth and nature listening to it, but there were also parts that made me sad and angry about the state of the world now because we don’t honor and appreciate the earth the way we should be. I loved the journey and one day I’ll take it again.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
