But also, if you have read this, let me know if we have any favorites in common! Anyways, I particularly loved or was impressed by: “Touch-Me-Nots,” “Dancing Frog,” “Corpse Flower,” “Potoo,” “Questions While Searching for Birds with My Half-White Sons,” “Southern Cassowary,” and “Monarch Butterfly.” I want to mention a few of my favorite pieces from the collection, for posterity purposes, I guess. And we could all use that kind of awe in our lives sometimes. It reminded me of some of the juvenile nonfiction titles I see at work, books titled something like “weirdest nature facts,” but for adults. Regardless, and despite the at times serious observations about racism/sexism/extinction/environmental decay, there is an overall feeling of youthful exuberance to this reading experience. While I really liked the way Nezhukumatathil incorporated and tied nature and natural phenomena back to her own life experiences and lessons, for the most part, I do have to say that a couple of the parallels and connections felt a bit strained, almost like trying too hard to pull things together. The balance of natural science and literary vibes was perfect for me: enough to teach and enrapture and flow but never too much in either direction. Each was short and sweet (literally and figuratively) and that made for a perfect “taking a short break” or “unwinding before bed” read-one-or-two essays consumption style. I really enjoyed the time I spent with this collection. As a bonus throughout, the reader is treated to stunning illustrations of a selection of the natural wonders Nezhukumatathil writes about or refers to. These natural life-personal life connections create such a phenomenally unique and captivating structure for a memoir. Each piece (at least the majority of them) is titled after a plant/animal (common and Latin) and then the reader gets a chance to experience a few fun facts about that particular flora or fauna, as well as a memory or life lesson or event from Nezhukumatathil’s life that relates to it in some way, all told with her gorgeously rhythmic writing.
In this collection of short essays, Nezhukumatathil combines poetry, nature writing and memoir in a heartfelt way. “There is a time for stillness, but who hasn’t also wanted to scream with delight at being outdoors?”
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