Non-Fiction review: Gathering Moss, by Robin Wall Kimmerer

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I'm a little late with today's post thanks to the massive bomb cyclone that hit the NW last night--power was out at my house for about 10 hours. Of course, if I weren't a procrastinator, it wouldn't have mattered, but I am, and it did :D

 

 Title: Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses

Author: Robin Wall Kimmerer. Audio book read by the author.

Publication Info: Audiobook Tantor Audio, 2003, 8 hours. Paper and ebook 2003 by Oregon State University Press, 176 pages.

 Source: Library

Publisher's blurb:
Living at the limits of our ordinary perception, mosses are a common but largely unnoticed element of the natural world. Gathering Moss is a beautifully written mix of science and personal reflection that invites readers to explore and learn from the elegantly simple lives of mosses. Robin Wall Kimmerer's book is not an identification guide, nor is it a scientific treatise. Rather, it is a series of linked personal essays that will lead general readers and scientists alike to an understanding of how mosses live and how their lives are intertwined with the lives of countless other beings, from salmon and hummingbirds to redwoods and rednecks. Kimmerer clearly and artfully explains the biology of mosses, while at the same time reflecting on what these fascinating organisms have to teach us.

Drawing on her diverse experiences as a scientist, mother, teacher, and writer of Native American heritage, Kimmerer explains the stories of mosses in scientific terms as well as in the framework of indigenous ways of knowing. In her book, the natural history and cultural relationships of mosses become a powerful metaphor for ways of living in the world.

Gathering Moss will appeal to a wide range of readers, from bryologists to those interested in natural history and the environment, Native Americans, and contemporary nature and science writing.

My Review:
I really enjoyed the author's other book, Braiding Sweetgrass (published 2013), and was eager to see what this one was about. Just at first, I wasn't sure it was a good decision. I was wondering if I really cared that much about moss. But fear not--before I was halfway through, I was beginning to understand the importance and fascination of moss, and read on more enthusiastically.

Even before I finished the book I found myself looking around more attentively, as I did my daily walks in this rather moss-draped corner of the world we call the Pacific Northwest. I noticed the ferns growing apparently out of the sides of trees, and realized that it was moss that made that happen--moss that captured the spores, provided water and a foothold for the ferns to grow. I saw moss covering a concrete railing and wondered how long that particular type of moss took to colonize and cover a surface like that.

And that moss that  dominates my "lawn"? Nothing wrong with that at all! (I'm still continuing with my plan to eliminate the grass entirely and get rid of the lawn mower once and for all, but moss can certainly be part of the new ground cover, to whatever extent it is willing). I didn't find the prose amazing, but it was good, and her little stories of her life as a researcher and parent served nicely to set off the discussions of the inner workings of moss.

I had both the audio book and the Kindle out of the library at the same time, and read parts one way and parts the other, as I was doing a lot of driving. Both were good, with quality narration, but I think the best would be actual paper--there are a lot of drawing and so forth that I never find all that easy to read on the Kindle, and of course are wholly missing from an audio book. 

My Recommendation:
A good read for anyone who is open to seeing bits of the world in new ways. Even if you don't think you care about moss, you may find by the end of the book that you are, at least, seeing it with new eyes. The author brings together both traditional wisdom of her people and a strong scientific foundation for a unique perspective on the natural world.

 

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©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2024
 As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated. 


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