Grow: Wāhine Finding Connection Through Food

by Sophie Merkens

Hardcover

About the author

Ms Merkens was born in Devonport, Auckland, and grew up between Aotearoa New Zealand and the Cook Islands – a pretty dreamy childhood. As a teenager, she spent time living in Oaxaca, Mexico, where she fell in love with cooking and the joy of discovering new cultures through food. That early spark has shaped her life ever since.

Adapted & abridged from Ms Merkens website.

Reviews

[Alice McCullough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grow is a book that is just oozing of mana wāhine energy, passionate, patience and aroha that has left me feeling deeply inspired. Knowing that in every corner of Aotearoa there are wāhine working towards personal and community-focused projects and initiatives to get their hands in the soil or the moana and create a more sustainable, productive future really fuels my personal passions. Sophie Merkens interview style feels so organic and real. A truly beautiful collection of stories.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. This book tells the story of thirty-five wahine in Aotearoa who are doing food differently in conscious, sustainable, caring ways. The amount of passion and care for the environment, community, and health - both physical and mental - is so inspiring. I just want to know everything about these women and what they're doing.

[Libby Brickell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fantastic project and a beautifully photographed book. Merkens visits a diverse range of women who live across Aotearoa to discover more about their relationship to food and this land we call home. It's uplifting and wholesome and full of life.

Reason for 3 stars is the format. I think that currently these stories suit magazine format more than a book. When sitting down to read more than one chapter at a time the interview formula began to feel repetitive and many of the stories felt overly short. These woman are INCREDIBLE and I wanted MORE! So much more could have been said but there wasn't the space. I would have halved the amount of women interviewed and given more space and words to each one.

Also... I kept thinking... where are the recipes?

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book in an afternoon. Following women in New Zealand, who collect, nourish gather, nurture and lead sustainable hunting and gathering in their businesses and lifestyles. Very inspiring book.