short stories about animals, insects, whales, etc. and comparison to her life
Nevada Book Club ( )

A charming book, using various elements of nature and interactions to explore the authors own experience and psyche. Fireflies, whale sharks and cassowaries all make brief appearances to great effect ( )

Part memoir, part nature writing, and all-in-all a tender examination of the world around us. Nezhukumatathil's background and skill as a poet is so clear here; she write with a fervent curiosity and appreciation for plants, animals, and even weather in a way that not only paints a beautiful picture but really advocates for humans to pay closer attention to these other lives and phenomena. Some chapters feel a bit spare, only briefly touching on something before quickly changing topics, which mean parts of this book were a little surface level. And at times the blending of memoir with scientific nonfiction were highly successful (I love the fireflies and flamingo chapters) others felt more disconnected in terms of the comparisons being made.
Overall a really lovely book, one I would definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys gentle memoirs, nature writing, or flowery prose. ( )

A collection of lovely essays about plants and animals encountered by the author through the years and places she has lived. As a poet, she brings a soft, sensory aspect to her memories and reflections. Some of my favorites are about the potoo bird (the call of which I googled because of this essay), Cara Cara oranges (the best of all oranges), Monarch butterflies, the Bird of Paradise and the cassowary. One of my favorite quotes comes from the essay on the dragon fruit, in which she describes a cocktail made with the fruit and vodka: On those weeks in Mississippi when the air outside is like a napping dragon's exhalations, there's no sweeter cocktail to lull us out of a sleepy, slow summer evening. I bought this book at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, MN, which staged an exhibition of the book's illustrations. ( )

A wonderful idea, a poor execution. ( )