Chasing Lakes: Love, Science, and the Secrets of the Arctic – A Captivating Memoir of Faith, Belonging, and Pioneering Research in Alaska and Siberia

by Katey Walter Anthony

An aquatic ecologist and permafrost scientist recalls her captivating adventures across the Arctic studying climate change, her quest to find belonging and family, and her journey of faith in a world of science in this poignant, eye-opening, and hopeful memoir in the spirit of Lab Girl, Educated, and Finding the Mother Tree.

Katey Walter Anthony's enchantment with lakes began when she was growing up amid the Sierra Nevada mountains. Today, her love for these bodies of water have taken her to the deepest reaches of Alaska and Siberia, where she is undertaking pioneering research on methane emissions. Chasing Lakes is her story: one-part adventure--complete with shipwrecks and treacherous treks through Arctic storms by helicopter, snowmobile, and foot to measure greenhouse gases--part coming-of-age tale, as she searches for belonging in the wake of a broken childhood, and part spiritual quest to find a wholeness science cannot fill.

Somewhere between the remote, frozen landscapes of Siberia and her rough cabin in Alaska, she discovers her spiritual and emotional home when she meets Peter, a bright and humble Minnesota farmer who reinvigorates her faith and helps ground her. Yet finding love and fulfillment brings its own challenges. The closer she gets to having the family she's always wanted, the further she's pushed from the important field work that is her passion.

Chasing Lakes is a chronicle of a woman seeking truth, adventure, scientific discovery, family, love, and grace. Both an eye-opening look from the frontlines of the climate crisis and an intimate portrait of a brilliant scientist, Chasing Lakes is memoir writing at its finest: beautiful, complex, revelatory, and moving.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Nature, Memoir, Travel, Audiobook, Environment

315 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 17, 2022

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary: There were a few good bits of science and nature writing here, but they weren't worth the slog through a disjointed religious memoir.

I decided to read this lake science book/memoir as a break from my women in media project and I have regrets. First off, this book was very poorly served by its marketing. The title and the cover picture focus only on the science, although the subtitle does tell you its also a memoir. The blurb compares it Lab Girl. Looking back, I feel like it was reasonable that I expected this to be about a 50/50 split between science and memoir. It was not. It was, at best, 25% about scientific expeditions, with very few in-depth explanations of the science. This is far more a memoir about the author finding her faith and a husband than about science, a type of book I most certainly would not have picked up on purpose.

The description of this book does tell you the memoir bit will include a focus on spirituality and faith. What it doesn't make clear is how much that will be the focus, with the author including extensive quotes from the Bible. The author is also depressingly hard on herself, constantly claiming she needs to be more humble and persuading herself its selfish not to give up her dreams for her husband. Her husband, on the other hand, never gets mentioned without at least two positive adjectives. It's painful to read.

I also thought the religious part of the memoir was poorly written. The author didn't explain why she missed her faith when she was a lapsed Christian, why she returns to Christianity, or what makes religion work for her. A lot of the religious changes in her life feel like bolts from the blue. In one case, she literally believes god speaks to her. If this was fiction, I'd criticize it for poor character development. It just isn't clear to me how she got from faith to disbelief to faith again. It is pretty clear that she could some therapy around her uncaring father and her parent's divorce, but she doesn't seem to have done the work to understand how that impacts her life and get into anything deep here.

Neither the religious stories nor the science stories are told chronologically or completely. Super cool science she's done is mentioned as having happened in the past, but we never get the full story. She receives marriage proposals from two men and this is the first time she mentions either man in the whole book. Perhaps this disjointed referencing of stories we've not been told was corrected in the final copy (I had an ARC), but it would have required extensive work to fix.

There are some positives here. The science and the expeditions are fascinating. I loved hearing about the author's efforts to deal with practical problems in her research. Her nature writing is beautiful, some of the best I've read for actually making me be able to imagine a scene. And... that's all I've got. Clearly, I didn't find this enough to be worth wading through the rest of this book. I do think this book has an audience. Many reviewers enjoyed the memoir more than the science, so I think its mostly the marketing that should be changed to help this find the right readers.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey

[Kelly_Hunsaker_reads ... · Rating 2 out of 5]

part memoir + part science-based nonfiction + part travelogue + part faith-promoting

If it were not for the heavily Christian themes, I would have enjoyed this book. The synopsis barely mentions faith, so I didn't expect Bible quotes and more.

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

TITLE: Chasing Lakes
AUTHOR: Dr Katey Walter Anthony
PUB DATE: 05.17.2022 Now Available

Katey Walter Anthony’s enchantment with lakes began when she was growing up amid the Sierra Nevada mountains. Today, her love for these bodies of water have taken her to the deepest reaches of Alaska and Siberia, where she is undertaking pioneering research on methane emissions.

REVIEW:

Chasing Lakes is a well written memoir that I found inspiring and moving. It’s a story about life and the journey to find adventure, scientific discovery, love, and most importantly yourself.

I love how science and faith is weaved together in this story, along with the changing world, and our role in this crisis.

Chasing Lakes was an illuminating read that opened up my mind and heart, and what is truly important.

[Molly Grear · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my kind of science memoir

[Kelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
I agree with other sentiments that I read in reviews: this book's title and inside description are misleading in regards to how heavily religious it is. The only thing it says in the book jacket that alludes to it was that she finds a farmer husband who "invigorates her faith" (tbh, I thought this meant her faith in science, or living or something), which did not prepare me for the frequent bible verses and prayers to God.
Side rant: she tries to point out that God answered her prayers for help with fieldwork one day, but then later in the book it rains after she prayed for it not to rain and she basically goes "God works in mysterious ways"--how convenient that whether your prayers are answered or not, either outcome reinforces God's existence for you.
They really need to change the marketing for this book because it seems like lots of people picking it up are not getting what they expected.
However, I did really enjoy the first half of the book, as it focuses more on her research and adventures. And she did have some wild, near-death experiences out in the Arctic (see being lost at sea with no motor in a storm, and falling through the ice almost not able to get out)! Her time in Russia and Alaska were enthralling, and I enjoyed hearing about the start of her career and challenges she faced and overcame.
I did not enjoy the second half as much, as it heavily featured her husband, children, and religion. It also felt like such a sad ending to me, as she basically heavily slows down on her amazing scientific career in order to be more of the wife her husband expects--OOF. She even mentions she turned down offers for professorships at Harvard so that her husband could continue farming in Minnesota. Towards the end, she repeatedly talks about being less selfish and giving up more to be a better wife and mother but I do NOT see her husband doing that. Honestly, some of the conversations towards the end seem a bit gaslighty and controlling on his end, and it was very uncomfortable and sad when she offers to be intimate with him "wondering what she needed to do to fulfill his desires" and "because she was willing to do that for him." I wonder if it's her traumatic childhood with it's lack of healthy relationships that make her think that's how marriage is supposed to be. Oh, also! When Peter suggests starting to think about having children, she basically states she doesn't want to but feels like she's supposed to and then her whole pregnancy feels like a ticking time-bomb to when she'll need to slow down her research.
I was also hoping the whole book that she would start to focus on how to slow climate change (it felt like every chapter she was discovering a new way methane was entering the atmosphere even faster than before!) but she doesn't address it much besides the epilogue that essentially recommends taking a walk and connecting with nature and accepting that change is happening.
Anyways, I feel like this was mostly a rant on things that bothered me in the book but I did really enjoy the parts about her advisors, her science, fieldwork, times in Russia, and her adventures.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthony had a transient childhood but also had experiences most people can only dream about. Her academic pursuits took her overseas, primarily to Russia, where she conducted scientific studies on lakes and methane gas. I was most interested in her travels and her relationship and marriage to a Minnesota farmer. It was interesting To read how they juggled their relationship along with kids.
Admittedly all,the science and religious stuff wasn’t my focus; I just liked reading about her personal life.
Thanks to Harper One and NetGalley for the advance read.

[Meagan | The Chapter House · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I particularly enjoyed the memoir-focused elements, and Anthony's faith journey--very interesting, engaging, and well done. Also, having long been fascinated by Russia, I loved seeing it through her eyes and in a new way (the scientific, and the natural/physical world, versus primarily through fiction and history on my part).

The scientific elements bogged me down a bit, so I ended up skimming past those for the most part.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Lisa Konet · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was part memoir/biography, climatology, and part religion spirituality. I liked reading about the author's love for lakes and water. It was not too scientific where it borders on tedious language or terms. I am all about awe-inspiring scenery and breathtaking moments. I can also understand how going to the Artic and various places around the ground can make this happen, but making this too religious was a turn off.

Other than that, I thought this was well written and interesting. Recommended for the anyone wanting some insight into the visits of bodies of water and the author's experiences about her visits. I also liked the cover art.

Thanks to Netgalley, Katey Walter Anthony, and Harper One for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 5/17/22

[Madison Bowman-Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had hoped this would be a scientists version of Wild in the Arctic but this turned out to be more of a memoir about a women's journey with her Christian faith and learning how to submit her will to her husband's will even if it meant giving up her scientific career. It should be called "Chasing Lakes : FAITH, Love, and the Secrets of the Arctic". You can save yourself some time and just read Preparing to Be a Help Meet by Debi Pearl... It is beautifully written; just not my inspirational cup of tea.

[Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

At a young age, Katey knew she needed more. Fiercely independent and constantly challenging the restraints around her, she found a way to make life her own. Leaving home and getting scholarships, she found herself as a scientist in Siberia studying permafrost and methane escaping from lakes. As an adult, she becomes a farmers wife, mother and still a scientist splitting her life between Alaska and Minnesota.

It was a great easy read. Not so scientific you're lost in the details, but enough to be fascinated and wanting to learn more. There is some religious stuff sprinkled in there, but it's the authors way of questioning her own life, not forcing the reader to question theirs.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early read of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Karyl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve always been fascinated with the Arctic, so this book seemed just the thing for me. Unfortunately, I didn’t care for it.

For one thing, Walter Anthony isn’t a very likable person. She keeps talking about how she left home at the age of 12, but what she did was ask to go live with someone else because she argued all the time with her mother. She later admits that she wasn’t respectful to her mother, but doesn’t seem to want to admit that perhaps she should have been more respectful to her mother. She also talks about wanting to be in control of the games on the playground, and later in life wanting to control her kids and even her husband. She consistently asks him for help with her own science and research, but resents reciprocating when they’re on the farm in Minnesota. In fact, she resents her life for TWELVE YEARS whenever they’re on the farm before she finally realizes that she needs to learn to make the best of the life she’s chosen. Walter Anthony is a very selfish and off-putting person, and it was difficult to read this memoir and have any sort of sympathy for her.

Walter Anthony is also a very, very, very preachy sort of person. And not in the way of, oh this is how I live my life, but definitely more in the way of thinking she’s better than we folks who succumb to the lure of the television. Like, great, you don’t like tv. I do. But I also read a whole lot. I don’t look down my nose at people who don’t read. We all have our preferences. She also closes the book with an epilogue that tells us that maybe we should just make peace with climate change, and if everyone would just turn off their phones and hike through the woods near their homes, then we would develop an appreciation for the earth and for the changes it’s experiencing. She doesn’t seem to understand that just going for a walk in the woods isn’t all that easy for most of us. Where I live, there are places where you can walk in nature — but they’re not accessible unless you have a car and you drive there. Some of them charge fees. Not everyone can afford the fees to take a walk in the woods. She also isn’t terribly kind to her kids; she preaches that parents ought to spend more time with her kids, and then resents any time away from crunching data on her laptop. I was also shocked to read about the tear stains on her oldest’s cello. She says they were “the dried-up marks of the pain and frustration he felt on days when sleep had been too short or Mama too critical” (264). Ma’am, we don’t criticize our kids until they cry. Oof.

The part where Walter Anthony meets her husband was a little icky as well. She met this guy and sized him up as possible marriage material, asked him point blank if he was a Christian, and when he said yes, she immediately decided she could marry this man. She’d known him for all of three minutes. Then she invites him home with her, even though her father and stepmother were going to be visiting from out of town. She mentions rather off-handedly that her father and stepmother were annoyed by this stranger being present during family time, but she doesn’t have any sympathy at all for their feelings. Instead she says that she felt it was more important to find a husband. *eye boggle*

This book also has a WHOLE LOT of Christianity all over it. I was not expecting to be preached at and have the Bible quoted to me almost every chapter once she decides she does have faith. This was supposed to be a book about Walter Anthony’s work on lakes in the Arctic, not a memoir of her interpretation of the Bible and what it means to her. Not only that, but she quotes all these passages from the Bible about yielding to God’s will and letting him take the wheel, as it were, and consistently lives her life in direct opposition to that. She never does seem to learn to yield; she just keeps preaching about it.

I’m so disappointed in this book. If you want a science memoir, this ain’t it.

[Jathan Fink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katey Walter Anthony has loved nature and science and marveled at the world around her since childhood. But as she grew toward adulthood, her life unraveled until darkness threatened to consume her. Desperate for answers to some of life’s toughest questions, her journey takes her from the Sierra Nevada to some of the farthest reaches of the planet. What she discovers along the way will ultimately change her life, her heart, and her faith. Discover her truth in the captivating memoir, Chasing Lakes: Love, Science, and the Secrets of the Arctic.

Walter Anthony’s love of water has shaped her life. It’s taken her to Alaska and Siberia, where she has done research on methane emissions and climate change that has helped deepen the world’s understanding of these phenomenon. But like everyone else, there is more to her than her work.

Her origin story is one filled with turmoil, which began early on until she left home at 16 to live in Russia for a year. As she pursues her passion for science, she also finds herself in a vulnerable position. Her life is shrouded in secrets, she wonders if she will survive, and even abandons her faith. She allows “an ignorant, self-centered instinct for survival” to be her guide, and her future is anything but certain. But then she meets Peter, a humble Minnesota farmer who helps bring meaning to her life.

When I first received Chasing Lakes, I thought I was in for a book about scientific exploration. While that topic on its own would have been interesting to me, this book is so much more than that. This is a layered, personal memoir about a young woman finding her way in life.

After leaving behind a complicated home life, Walter Anthony is fascinated by nature and leaves God behind to pursue her education. But as she studies and explores different classes and picks her professor’s minds, she suddenly finds herself wondering if there is room for faith, if the living world around us allows for God as a creator. Her search for answers and acceptance, in addition to her scientific studies, are what propel this engaging and thoughtful coming-of-age story.

Honest, insightful, smart, and heartfelt, Chasing Lakes is the kind of book you will want to curl up with and read meditatively, because it dares ask questions many of us seldom articulate. And that is where the beauty of this book lies, cradled within its pages like a fine pearl ready to be discovered. Walter Anthony allows her own experiences, difficult and trying as they may have been, to shape and guide her toward her own personal truth. I am only grateful that she felt compelled to share that truth with the rest of us. Chasing Lakes will leave you feeling inspired and hopeful, whether science is your passion or not.

As originally published at JathanandHeather.com.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is your passion? While you can definitely guess that books and reading is my passion, water resources and engineering is my professional passion. Even better is when I can combine both my love of water and reading. Chasing Lakes is the perfect book for this situation.

Katey Walter Anthony grew up loving science and the great outdoors. Her research on methane brought her to Siberia where she had adventures trying to figure out how to capture methane for her research. Her adventures continued in Alaska, but as she grew older, she started to realize there was a piece still missing in her life, which was faith. She also discovered love along the way with Peter, a Minnesota farmer.

I enjoyed everything about this memoir, the great outdoors, the adventure, the science, and the introspective look on life and love. It was a coming-of-age novel as well as an exploration of faith. I geeked out on the science talk. I also got into my field because I love water. It did a good job of talking about how the natural world and human made world blend together and about climate change. It’s hard to really define this book by any one genre, but it was a personal story of a woman exploring science, but also finding her faith.

Overall, Chasing Lakes is a personal journey of one woman through science and faith that brought her to a better understanding of the world.

Book Source: A Review Copy from Harper One as part of the TLC Book Tour. Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review was first posted on my blog at: https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2022...

[merlin513 · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Chasing Lakes' is a biographical account of Katey Anthony's passion for studying, well...lakes...
specifically ARTIC lakes and the methane that seeps, bubbles and occasionally roars out of them.

I was intrigued seeing as I'd read several accounts of Lake Kivu and Lake Nyos in Africa. I believe those
were both CO2 eruptions but methane can be equally as deadly.

Unlike the majority of the reviews I've read on 'Chasing Lakes' I actually quite enjoyed the science portions. Seeing as how the issue has such an impact on global warming which is occurring and the issues that it will raise in our immediate future's and well as those of generations to come.

I like Mrs. Anthony's viewpoint and descriptions of her love for Siberia and the Russian populace and her Alaska home and surrounds. Her descriptions of her travels are quite interesting.

Unfortunately for me, I did not enjoy her awakening Christianity as much.
I felt she was MUCH too hard on herself. She has accomplished great things and while I agree that one shouldn't get a big head, being proud of your accomplishments at such a young age should not be seen as a sin. Being overly full of yourself and vainglorious, yes. But she didn't strike me as such a person.

I almost quit reading when she described her 'confession' to her fiancee Paul of her supposedly wild, wanton youth and the black stain it had left on her soul. Ummm, you were a teenager, in Europe, in what you felt was love... that's where Psalms 25:7 comes in. It shouldn't only apply to men! :p

I'm happy that she's found contentment and balance in her life. And I did really enjoy the book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down.
I really enjoyed the science and graduate school aspects of this autobiography. I am a PhD scientist and could relate to a lot of what the author discussed, though her adventures in graduate school were profoundly more exciting than mine. Her scientific research and travels are fascinating. She created atmosphere so effectively, I could imagine the lakes in Siberia. She also developed the personality of her mentor, Sergei, very well. I felt as though I had met him myself.
I was not expecting religion and Bible verses. However, this is an autobiography, and the author's personal story includes religion. The religious references were not "preachy" (in my opinion) and were easily skimmable or skippable. The author is very hard on herself about needing to be more humble, trust God's plan, follow her husband, etc. Some of that was a turn off. This woman appears to be a very successful scientist, or at least she presented her research and career that way. Then she beats herself up for being too involved in her career. I guess this is part of her personal journey, but I found it off-putting, because she could not be satisfied with what most people would consider success. She came off as a whiner. While I could relate to her educational experiences, I could not related to this. I wanted to shake her and tell her to be grateful for what she has.
Overall, I chose this book because I was interested in the author's experiences as a scientist. Her discussion of limnology did not disappoint.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Book_vibes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was interested more in the science and what is going on in the waters that are leading to global warming amongst other factors. I like how she talks a lot about the gases that are harmful to the world and everyone on it. The problem I personally have with this book is that it is based a lot on Christianity. I am not Christian and I believe that this could have been way better if it was bases solely around science. Everyone makes mistakes in life but I feel she was really hard on herself because of religion and that's not right. She accomplished a lot and should be proud of it more than she was, I appreciate the free arc copy of this book as it was interesting to read. I am a vegetarian and one of the main reasons aside from animal cruelty is the fact that the gases produced in producing meat for people cause so much pollution. Along with tearing down our forests so that they can plant more crops for the cows etc. to eat so we can eat them. So I enjoy a read that lets me learn more about the environment so we can find ways to help our planet.

[Rayis Imayev · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book ticked several main checkboxes of my interest. I found this book in our local city library through a random search for books about the Arctic. As I was reading, I realized that the author had some educational experience in the Soviet Union/Russia, where I was born myself before moving to Ukraine; and had significant scientific research studies in the environmental field in a somewhat similar way to what my late wife was doing; and the other thing that really caught my attention was the author's personal pursuit of her relationship with God and finding new and old family ties. Sometimes, during a chapter reading, you could find yourself in a very interesting scientific explanation of different natural events, combined with some personal and emotional reflections from the author, which I liked. It has been a great book-reading experience for me!

[Justice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I genuinely enjoyed this memoir! It was well written and outlined a normal person's struggle between personal history, the constant battle between personal and professional life, and the struggle between free will and fate. Dr. Anthony shed the light on the complex world that is studying how and why the climate changes. Not only this, but she also "dumbed it down" so that the average person could understand it. The Russian travels were interesting to read about as well, particularly how different yet how the same we are. Sure, there is a healthy dose of her struggles with spirituality, and one could make a claim that is what the overarching theme is. However, if you look deeply into what Dr. Anthony is saying about her own struggles, I believe that the same struggle is more common than not for a lot of people.

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting book!

Blending memoir and science the author takes us on her journey into her field as well as her life. We follow a non-linear story of Anthony's upbringing, her experience doing field work, and her discoveries about methane in bodies of water. We get interesting diagrams, details about methane traps, and other technical information along with personal stories, conversations, and information about Anthony. She talks about being a woman in science and how her childhood shaped her.

It's an interesting read with technical insight and heart.

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this book hoping to learn a lot about the current state of the science in the arctic around methane emissions, warming, and what to do about it. This book is about 30% science. 2/3 of that comprising the experiences in tough arctic conditions to collect data, all of which was interesting. The other 70% of the book was about a tough childhood, and finding, losing, and refinding her Christian faith, along with discovering what a healthy and happy family is. None of which I minded, it was just not what I was expecting, as I generally don’t enjoy memoirs very much, definitely less than the truly groundbreaking science she was taking part in around methane emissions from thermokarst lakes and their potential impact on arctic and global warming. I guess in the end, though, on an individual level happy relationships will always trump individual accomplishments when you look back at the end of your days. Unless there’s no humanity left due to the increased and runaway greenhouse effect contributed to by methane emissions from the arctic 🤔

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so grateful for the work Katey Walter Anthony has done--and continues to do--to increase the understanding of what is happening with thawing permafrost and the resulting methane release in the earth's arctic areas. She is a gifted and grit-filled scientist, persevering when less hearty folk would have given up long ago. While I could have done without much of the love story in the book, it did help to round out her character. Her straightforward and matter-of-fact presentation of the scientific material removes any room for politicization: what she has observed and documented is simply happening. What we choose to do with her discoveries is up to me and you.

[BethFishReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actually I quit at about a third of the way in.

I started this memoir by Katey Walter Anthony, a well-respected polar aquatic ecologist. I didn't carefully read the description of the book and was expecting to learn about arctic lakes and Anthony's experiences of being a woman in a field science. Instead the book is equally or even more about her journey with her faith (Christian). I let this one go, because it's not for me.

Others have a strong connection to Christianity and to science; they are likely the target audience.

[CatReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a woman in science, I adore women scientists' memoirs, from Lab Girl (Jahren) to A Lab of One's Own (Colwell) to A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman (Elkins-Tanton). Dr. Anthony showed a lot of grit and determination early in her career, after being set loose all alone in post-Soviet Russia by parents who seem extremely chaotic and neglectful. This makes the near-complete lack of self-awareness and self-confidence as her career progresses so disappointing.

[Linn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really disappointing read. I thought I was going to read a book about science, but instead every other page was full of religious disjointed statements that made me want to cringe. The author started out seeming strong and confident but then later seemed full of self doubt and regrets which she repeated over and over.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have weird boxes, but that's why I was so excited to see this book: it checks my boxes! Strong, female narrator! Narrative nonfiction! Even Christian! Thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

[Kelsey McMahon]

I would’ve liked more science and less religion.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disjointed and lackluster

[Faith O'Toole · Rating 3 out of 5]

i understand why this book was written. if you wanted something with less opinions or religion in it then read her peer reviewed articles. but i agree with the other reviews that the bible quotes are unnecessary. i honestly skipped the paragraphs about god. i sometimes found it distracted from what she was talking about.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel badly for Anthony. And I feel bad for myself for buying this book. I wasn’t looking for a poorly woven story of searching for Gods approval. I was misled that this would be about climate science. Anthony essentially left behind an impressive life of adventure and scientific discovery to submit to a husband just because she is Christian. A husband who expected her to be a “gentle wife” yet somehow juggle homeschooling 2 kids single handedly, attempt to keep a scientific career a float, cook for him, clean for him, please him in every way. It seemed like she was constantly trying to convince herself that this is what she wanted even though it was transparent this was not what she wanted out of her life.

The increasing religious tones as the book progressed and diminishing scientific pursuit made finishing this book tedious.

[Luísa Andrade · Rating 2 out of 5]

interesting stuff about carbon cycling and the cryosphere but it gets lost because the author insists on Christian indoctrination