\u201cBraiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants<\/a>\u201d is a memoir written by botanist, author and Director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment<\/a> Robin Wall Kimmerer<\/a>. A member of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry faculty and an Indigenous scientist, Kimmerer blends Native American folklore, personal essays, and science \u2014 like the three strands of sweetgrass that form a braid \u2014 to invoke readers to better understand and care about the natural world. Reciprocity is a key theme explored in the book.<\/p>\n Kimmerer\u2019s premise is that establishing a synergistic relationship with the natural world is key to food security, human well-being, and planetary health. Her writing echoes environmental leaders like Jane Goodall and Native elders such as Oren Lyons, emphasizing stewardship as a sacred duty.<\/p>\n In this \u201cBraiding Sweetgrass\u201d review, we\u2019ll explore whether Kimmerer effectively presents her case. Then, you decide whether you feel inspired to change the way you live \u2014 a personal call to action \u2014 to impact the future of our planet.<\/p>\n In 2013 author Robin Wall Kimmerer, a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation<\/a>, wrote \u201cBraiding Sweetgrass,\u201d a memoir that illuminates myriad ways Indigenous cultures maintain a reciprocal relationship with living things and our earth. She shares stories rich with lessons in botany, plant ecology, and Indigenous wisdom. Many stories are rife with examples of plants and animals working together in a synergistic manner. Other stories demonstrate how harvesting different plants in a thoughtful manner improves their ability to thrive. Kimmerer presents evidence that most humans feel entitled to take from the earth without giving anything back. Her book iterates the dire consequences on our planet and educates readers so they can better understand and care for the natural world.<\/p>\n The New York Times bestseller is, in her own words, \u201ca braid of stories meant to heal our relationship with the world.\u201d\u00a0 Braiding is a bonding experience, said Kimmerer, which works best when two people work together. \u201cSweetgrass, which translates to the hair of Mother Earth in the Potawatomi language, is traditionally braided to show loving care for her well-being. The book\u00a0has been featured on NPR, Literary Hub, and even received praise in Publishers Weekly, The Washington Post, and the Star Tribune for its literary depth and relevance.<\/p>\n The braiding of sweetgrass is repeatedly used as a metaphor throughout this book. The three strands that are interwoven in this story, which the author presents as a pathway to healing the earth, are:<\/p>\n In summary, Kimmerer believes that establishing a synergistic relationship with the natural world is key to food security, a healthy planet, and even human mental health. While the earth suffers from human negligence, people in our technological era are breathing polluted air, consuming contaminated food and water, and often experiencing a sense of isolation and depression.<\/p>\n She also wrote a shorter work, “Gathering Moss”, that explores similar themes of reciprocity and natural observation through another lens.<\/p>\n Editorial note:<\/strong> Love a memoir? Read our “Waiting for Snow in Havana” review<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> At The Rauch Review<\/a>, we care deeply about being transparent and earning your trust. These articles explain why and how we created our unique methodology for reviewing books and other storytelling mediums.<\/p>\n<\/div> \u201cBraiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants\u201d is relevant to every human being living on Earth. People who feel an intimate connection with the natural world and care about the planet\u2019s future will likely savor this book. People who are in denial about the human impact on global temperatures and the health of our earth in general may resist reading this book. People in the Millennial and Gen Z generations are likely to be drawn to this book because they and future generations are acutely threatened by climate change.<\/p>\n Braiding Sweetgrass is unique from any other book I\u2019ve ever read. There\u2019s nothing stereotypical about this book. Science, personal experiences and Indigenous customs and folklore are intertwined in a lyrical and compelling way that incites deep emotion and experience.<\/p>\n Christians may be offended by references to the book of Genesis in the Bible suggesting they encourage dominion over rather than respect for nature. Some American readers may take offense to the author\u2019s story and the subsequent discussion about her daughter\u2019s rebellion against reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at school.<\/p>\n Editorial Note: We believe these three factors are important for evaluating general writing quality across every aspect of the book. Before you get into further analysis, here\u2019s a quick breakdown to clarify how we\u2019re using these words:<\/em><\/p>\n \u2018Braiding Sweetgrass\u2019 invokes deep emotions through various techniques, particularly the nostalgic sharing of the author\u2019s experiences. Readers experience scenes of immersion in the earth\u2019s beauty alongside tragic examples of pessimal treatment and devastation of the earth. These stories transport the reader to the forest, the river, the sea, the snowy landscape, enabling them to experience drenched clothes in a downpour, bone-chilling cold on a snowy day and the feel of damp earth on the fingertips. Kimmerer\u2019s stories brought back childhood memories of summers and free time spent outdoors.<\/p>\n The author often transports readers to places in the past and present so they can experience how the beauty of an area has been degraded due to human thoughtlessness. In the instance of Onondaga Lake<\/a>, she shares how this once sacred place transformed into a Superfund site after companies dumped chemical waste and sewage into the waters and how today nature and some thoughtful human beings are working to bring it back into balance.<\/p>\n Readers are likely to flash back to days they once spent in outdoor spaces they connected to that were once beautiful and have since then transformed into dirty lakes, parking lots, malls or outdoor spaces surrounded by freeways. Readers may feel a sense of loss over how our world has changed, inciting them to want to reestablish a lost relationship with nature and possibly live differently or take other proactive steps.<\/p>\n Kimmerer shares examples of synergistic relationships between Native people and plants, which hammer home her reciprocity theme.<\/p>\n The author also spotlights the plight of the Native American people. Reading stories of how children were taken from their families and sent off to boarding schools<\/a> \u2014 largely to strip them of their traditional ways of living and speaking \u2014 is an unpleasant reminder of the history of America many of us would prefer to forget.<\/p>\n Kimmerer communicates through her writing in an educated, articulate way. She has an ability to bring nature to life through words in a way that brings readers onto the scene and enables them to fully experience the natural world through her vivid descriptions.<\/p>\n This work is free of typographical errors and incorrect grammar. The book\u2019s publisher, Milkweed Editions, provided professional editing services that resulted in a top-notch final edition.<\/p>\n The main theme of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book is reciprocity, and the way she presents it is clear and well-articulated. She also compares mother-daughter relationships to nature\u2019s nurturing ways.<\/p>\n Geographical location is sometimes difficult to pinpoint in some chapters. Pinpointing locations in all of the chapters would have further improved the reading experience.<\/p>\n Kimmerer is a PhD and a Professor of Environmental Biology. The book weaves in detailed scientific descriptions, which may be difficult for some readers to grasp or may not hold their interest. This book is not a fast-paced read or ideal to read in one sitting. Savoring it in small doses is likely to work best for most readers.<\/p>\n Occasionally, the pacing felt slow, and I found myself needing to reread for better comprehension. Pacing seemed the slowest in the in-depth science sections. Perhaps these sections could have been condensed or written in a simpler way to better retain reader interest.<\/p>\n Kimmerer\u2019s compelling use of language and vivid descriptions make \u2018Braiding Sweetgrass\u2019 a delight to read. I\u2019ve chosen a few examples below to share.<\/p>\n The braiding of sweetgrass is often used as a metaphor for interconnectedness, love and gratitude. There are many other nature and connectedness metaphors in the book.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is such tenderness in braiding the hair of someone you love\u2026When we braid sweetgrass, we are braiding the hair of Mother Earth, showing her our loving attention, our care for her beauty and well-being, in gratitude for all she has given us.\u201d<\/p>\n The author believes science alone isn\u2019t having enough impact on our efforts to save the earth. Kimmerer suggests that blending scientific knowledge with Native American insight and connection is the optimal solution. \u201cIndigenous knowledge and Western science \u2013 can they be goldenrod and asters for each other.\u201d These two described flowers flourish when growing side-by-side and their lavender and golden colors together are also a feast for the human eye.<\/p>\n Research has demonstrated that monoculture and saturating the soil with pesticides is destructive to the land. Native people often plant squash, corn and beans together. This method of cultivation is known as Three Sisters planting. A synergistic relationship between the three plants allows them to thrive and ward off pests effectively when growing in community together. \u201cBeing among the sisters provides a visible manifestation of what a community can become when its members understand and share their gifts. In reciprocity, we fill our spirits as well as our bellies.\u201d<\/p>\n Kimmerer believes that most people shop without connecting to the source of what they\u2019re buying. She attempts to awaken readers from their trance and asks them to become aware of this blindness. \u201cWhat would it be like, I wondered to live with that heightened sensitivity to the lives given for ours? To consider the tree in the Kleenex, the algae in the toothpaste, the oaks in the floor, the grapes in the wine, to follow back the threat of life in everything and pay it respect. Once you start, it\u2019s hard to stop, and you begin to feel yourself awash in gifts.\u201d<\/p>\n Toward the end of the book, Kimmerer pleads with readers to take to heart the impact of our destructive habits on the planet. \u201cScientific evidence tells us we are close to the tipping point of climate change, the end of fossil fuels, the beginning of resource depletion. Ecologists estimate that we would need seven planets to sustain the lifeways we have created. And yet those lifeways, lacking balance, justice, and peace, have not brought us contentment. They have brought us the loss of our relatives in a great wave of extinction.\u201d<\/p>\n The author\u2019s prose demonstrates she is highly intelligent, feels deeply invested in the natural world and values her Indigenous heritage. She feels a disconnect to the attitudes of many non-indigenous people. \u201cIn Potawatomi, we speak of the land as emingoyak: that which has been given to us. In English, we speak of the land as \u2018natural resources\u2019 or \u2018ecosystem services,\u2019 as if the lives of other beings were our property.\u201d<\/p>\n Rob Wall Kimmerer lived in Kentucky before moving to upstate New York with her children after her husband left them. Most chapters take place in those two settings. Kimmerer’s descriptions were always vivid, drawing the reader to the scene and situation in a multisensory way, which made me feel like I was there experiencing it with her.<\/p>\n There are also sections in Oregon and other areas of the Pacific northwest, the southeast and in Ecuadorian oil fields. In some sections, location was hard to pinpoint.<\/p>\n The writing invokes a deep emotional response in the reader story by story. Every chapter in this book has a purpose; to incite readers to love and care for the earth more, to recognize our planet\u2019s state of crisis, and to take action to save it. The history of and continuing discrimination and oppression of Native American people is also an important theme in the work.<\/p>\n This book is very relevant to contemporary times because we are experiencing the ravages of climate change with record high summer temperatures, melting glaciers and polar ice caps, and increasingly destructive weather patterns. In recent years, general audiences have become more interested in Indigenous voices.<\/p>\n The writing comes across as authentic and honest. As a member of the Potawatomi Nation and an Environmental Biologist, Kimmerer is well-qualified to write this book.<\/p>\n Published in 2013, “Braiding Sweetgrass” has gained traction in the rankings over the years through word of mouth. The book has touched the hearts of many people and they in turn have chosen to pass on their positive reading experiences to others.<\/p>\n “Braiding Sweetgrass” has an average rating on Goodreads of 4.5 with more than 17,000 posted reviews<\/a>. Some random readers found Kimmerer to be hateful and bigoted. Others found the text boring. Some believe she insulted mainstream Christianity.<\/p>\n I did not find the author to be hateful and bigoted. She simply has no tolerance for people who live without conscience or who are self-serving and disconnected from the earth. To me, that was the whole point of her writing the book, to invoke more awareness.<\/p>\n “Braiding Sweetgrass” was also spotlighted by Krista Tippett on her podcast On Being, where themes of gratitude and reciprocity were explored in depth.<\/p>\n Editorial note: <\/em><\/strong>Check out our review of the memoir “Dear Senthuran”<\/a> next.<\/em><\/p>\n Its cover is off-white, with a green braid of sweetgrass bisecting the title from the subtitle and author\u2019s name. The publisher, Milkweed Editions<\/a>, was a member of the Green Press Initiative, which now seems inactive. The book was printed on acid-free 100% post-consumer-waste paper by Friesens<\/a>, an employee-owned printing company.<\/p>\n The \u2018Braiding Sweetgrass\u2019 cover, which simply and authentically says, \u2018what you see is what you get,\u2019 shows the braiding of sweetgrass metaphor that is woven throughout the narrative.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been an outdoor enthusiast all my life and feel most content and emotionally balanced when outdoors and connected to nature. I\u2019ve hiked through the Andes, biked through the Swiss Alps, swam around islands in the Greek Ionian Sea and with dolphins in the Sea of Cortez<\/a>.<\/p>\n Many of the chapters evoked memories of life experiences where I felt intimately connected to nature. They also evoked a deep sense of loss as I recalled places I once loved that have since been destroyed. These narratives also reminded me of how different life was for children growing up in the 70s and earlier. During our eras, we spent most of our free time outside, compared to children today, who tend to be inside on phones or computers.<\/p>\n I was fully absorbed with the author\u2019s story of picking strawberries out in an open field. It flashed me back to youthful days when I wandered through fields near my aunt and uncle\u2019s house in New Brunswick, Canada, picking blueberries. I also recall my frog obsession and the many summers I waded in the Olentangy River in Ohio looking for them and how in spring I\u2019d visit nearby ponds and watch\u2014over the course of weeks\u2014tadpoles sprouting legs and arms, their tails gradually diminishing until they transformed into juvenile frogs.<\/p>\n These ponds, which were once breeding grounds for the frogs, have been replaced by soccer fields and play equipment. A noisy freeway on the other side of the river destroyed this peaceful sanctuary for humans that was once a home to thousands of living beings.<\/p>\n Kimmerer believes that many white Americans take the earth\u2019s gifts without feeling any moral requirement to give back or nurture the earth. I find her view truthful \u2014 and very distressing. At one point, she mentions that most consumers have the illusion that purchased items \u201chave fallen off the back of Santa\u2019s sleigh, not been ripped from the earth.\u201d<\/p>\n My daughter read \u2018Braiding Sweetgrass\u2019 and shared her copy with me. Because of my concerns for our planet\u2019s future, my deep connection to the author\u2019s descriptions and the emotions that surfaced when reading this book, I requested to review it.<\/p>\n Three books I\u2019ve read recently may appeal to \u201cBraiding Sweetgrass\u201d readers.<\/p>\n \u201cFresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science<\/a>\u201d by Jessica Hernandez discusses the plights of Indigenous people in the Americas and the damage the white man has inflicted on the earth. The book\u2019s main theme is that nature takes care of man when man takes care of nature.<\/p>\n \u201cCrazy Brave<\/a>,\u201d tells Joy Harjo\u2019s story of her life growing up in a dysfunctional Muscogee Nation<\/a> family and her connection to the natural world.<\/p>\n Susan Casey\u2019s \u201cVoices in the Ocean: A Journey in the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins<\/a>\u201d parallel\u2019s Kimmerer\u2019s concerns for the natural world with Casey\u2019s story spotlighting the plight of dolphins and other cetaceans.<\/p>\n Our \u201cBraiding Sweetgrass\u201d review went in-depth and came out with 4.5 stars for the moving memoir. Kimmerer proficiently brings readers on the scene and invokes a deep emotional response, heightening reader connection with the natural world. Following this narrative feels more like an immersion experience than just reading.<\/p>\n \u2018Braiding Sweetgrass\u2019 is available at most Barnes and Noble and most independent bookstores. It can usually be found in the autobiography section.<\/p>\n Braiding Sweetgrass is available through many libraries on the Libby app. Because it is popular, there may be a waiting period. An audiobook version is also available online and through library apps.<\/p>\n Here are some of the most impactful \u201cBraiding Sweetgrass\u201d quotes from Robin Wall Kimmerer:<\/p>\n The genre of \u201cBraiding Sweetgrass\u201d is nonfiction. However, it falls into several subgenres as well, including memoir, science writing, nature writing and Indigenous wisdom.<\/p>\n Yes, \u201cBraiding Sweetgrass\u201d is a memoir of the experiences of Indigenous plant medicine expert Robin Wall Kimmerer. While it may not be considered a traditional memoir, many autobiographical elements are woven into Kimmerer\u2019s reflections, including personal stories, experiences and philosophies.<\/p>\n \u201cBraiding Sweetgrass\u201d was published in 2013. A resurgence of interest in this book occurred in 2023 when it was added to The New York Times\u2019 Best Seller list.<\/p>\n Here are some \u201cBraiding Sweetgrass\u201d discussion questions for your book club:<\/p>\n \u201cBraiding Sweetgrass\u201d was written by Robin Wall Kimmerer.<\/p>\n No, Robin Wall Kimmerer is not white. Kimmerer is a Native American and an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, a tribe originally from the Great Lakes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\u2018Braiding Sweetgrass\u2019 Summary: Part Indigenous Memoir, Part Environmental Education<\/h2>\n
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‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ Audience and Genre: For Environmentalists, Not for Climate Change Deniers and Hardcore Christians<\/h2>\n
Three Cs: Compelling, Clear, Concise<\/h2>\n
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Compelling: Nostalgia for Lost Earth<\/h3>\n
Clear: From a Professor Who Knows How to Write Well, But There Are Some Unclear Locations and Scientific Parts<\/h3>\n
Concise: Mostly Good, Occasionally Slow, Especially in Scientific Parts<\/h3>\n
Prose Style: Braiding of Metaphors, Nature and Science<\/h2>\n
‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ Setting: Kentucky and New York, With a Sprinkling of Other Places<\/h2>\n
Rhetoric: Encouraging Environmental Action from Everyday People<\/h2>\n
Cultural and Political Significance: A Resurgence Because of Worsening Climate Change?<\/h2>\n
Authenticity: From a Real Tribe Member and Qualified Biologist<\/h2>\n
Critiquing the Critics: Overwhelmingly Positive Feedback from Most Types of Reviewers<\/h2>\n
Book Aesthetic: Simple and More Environmentally Ethical<\/h2>\n
Reviewer\u2019s Personal Opinion of ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’: Memories of My Love for Nature<\/h2>\n
Books Similar to ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’<\/h2>\n
\u2018Braiding Sweetgrass\u2019 Review: Get Closer With the Natural World<\/h2>\n
‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ Buying Options<\/h2>\n
E-Commerce Text and Audio Purchases<\/h3>\n
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E-Commerce Audio Purchases<\/h3>\n
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Physical Location Purchase and Rental Options<\/h3>\n
Digital Rental Options<\/h3>\n
\u2018Braiding Sweetgrass\u2019 Quotes<\/h2>\n
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\u2018Braiding Sweetgrass\u2019 FAQs<\/h2>\n
What genre is ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’?<\/h3>\n
Is ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ a memoir?<\/h3>\n
When was ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ published?<\/h3>\n
What are some \u201cBraiding Sweetgrass\u201d book club questions?<\/h3>\n
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Who wrote ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’?<\/h3>\n
Is Robin Wall Kimmerer white?<\/h3>\n