What an important, powerful book. I believe it will be regarded in the future like Silent Spring is now.
What to even read after this?
Looking for some reads in/around this realm:
environmental; beautiful nature writing; anti-capitalist/leftist; philosophical; indigenous knowledge systems; climate solutions; past/future sustainable lifeways; the role of art/ritual in all of the above …
Any recommendations? Can be non-fiction or fiction!
by Home-Perm
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So, this is a bit of a left field suggestion, but having read both recently, I think there is a strong thematic link between Braiding Sweetgrass and Always Coming Home by Ursula K Le Guin. The former talks about learning from indigenous knowledge and the latter shows us what that could look like in practice. It’s not strictly a novel, it’s more an anthology of writings (short stories, plays, songs, poetry, even recipes) of a people who might one day live in what we now call California, many thousands of years after we’re gone. Le Guin imagines a way of life for these people that I think Wall Kimmerer would value.
Check out Sy Montgomery’s work!! She writes beautiful nature/animal nonfic that reads like a memoir. Her work is a bit lighter and easier to digest compared to Braiding Sweetgrass, and would be the perfect follow up!
Ben Goldfarb’s Crossings hits some of those points. For fiction, Waubgeshig Rice has written two Moon of the…. books about a First Nations community returning to the old ways in a post apocalyptic setting. Braiding Sweet grass is a pretty unique book though, nothing’s going to be quite like it.
*As long as grass grows* by Dina Gilio-Whitaker
*Horizon* by Barry Lopez
*The secret wisdom of nature* by Peter Wohlleben
*Red deal* by Red Nation
Check out Rebecca Solnit! She has a variety of books that touch on different aspects of what you are looking for!