More Kingsolver

To honor Earth Day in April we elected to read Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Later I borrowed a gorgeous book of essays that touched on similar themes called Small Wonder that must have been a precursor to AVM. I’ll save you some time if you’d rather not continue reading: read these books.

Again, readers will be familiar with my love of Kingsolver’s work (here and here). These books aren’t novels of fiction, but rather Kingsolver speaking directly to the reader through essays about what she is passionate about.

I would start with Small Wonder which is a collection of essays written about motherhood, sustainability, and politics in a post-9/11 world. I was very impressed. Each essay is so well-crafted that you could read one and savor it all day long. The exception would be the essay on her relationship with her mother that I think was written more instinctually than with her writer’s eye, but is nonetheless lovely.

In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle we get a more in-depth look at the Kingsolver-Hopp family’s journey through a year of eating only what they could grow or purchase locally. I was very impressed and totally intimidated. The book follows the growing season through the year and includes recipes and passionate advocacy for genetic biodiversity (which is a lot more interesting than it sounds), the local food movement, and sustainability practices. I’m not at all ashamed to say that I conscientiously bought the whole thing hook, line, and sinker. I’ve been passionate about sustainability for years and reading AVM was like coming home. My lifestyle isn’t quite where I’d like it to be, but I’ll get there.

As I’ve said before, I adore Kingsolver’s books and will treasure them for the rest of my life. I love the gentle way she explores the human condition and advocates for authentic human connection with the earth. I hope you find books that move you as these have moved me.