Braiding Sweet Grass

by Umes Santilal

Sweetgrass is best planted not by using seed, however by putting roots at once in the ground.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Audiobook, Nature, Self Help, Book Club, Spirituality

441 pages, Paperback

Published July 17, 2020

Reviews

[David Mcnicholas · Rating 1 out of 5]

is this just a ripoff of robin wall kimmerer's book?

[Karen Trostle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book could be a spiritual textbook for me.
Each chapter could stand alone for a course on how to care for myself, my spiritual growth, the earth and kindness to all living creatures. I cannot say enough heartfelt comments about this book. It will be FOREVER one of my favorites!

[Lyndsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m torn…
This book is amazing, blew me away, made me want to change my entire outlook on life and how I live it… the first half anyway. I would recommend the first half to everyone in the world. It’s important to read, I believe.

But man did I really start to struggle with the second half. She is a poetic and beautiful writer but long winded and repetitive. I got through it all and I’m glad I read it all but I wish I had listened to it instead.

That said, I’ll still recommend it to everyone and won’t even tell them I struggled with the second half.

[Melissa Godin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal book, with beautiful prose and colourful language, that leaves you eager to reimagine your relationship with the nature around you.

[Thomas Firth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The testimonial on the cover says it best: "A hymn of love to the world."
This book taught me so much about ecology without ever being too dry to enjoy. Merging of a science brain and a spiritual/emotional mind. First book to make me cry. Made me think about my mum and dad a lot.

[Stephanie Bruno · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not say this lightly or with hyperbole, this is my favorite book that I have ever read and one of the most important books I will ever read. Elizabeth Gilbert’s review of it put it best with, “A hymn of love to the world.” It is a universal text. I wish every person on Earth could read this. I wish we could all embody the Indigenous symbiotic relationship with the natural world around us. Bump this to the very top of your to read list. I promise.

[Sharon pruitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. Very thought provoking.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure, have been listening to this book for a couple of years. The author describes the relationship between indigenous peoples and plants. It is a wonderful attitude changer...thank the plant you are harvesting, take only what you need. This is just one of the practices this book teaches.

[Megan Geer · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must read!! exact what i was looking for at this time of my life

[Stelladonna Leone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the author. Loved the stories and lessons, but driven to distraction by the continued repeating of the main principles. Wish someone would have edited it to remove the repetition. It almost caused me to give up the book halfway through, but the stories were gems that I didn't want to miss.

[Maura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delicious blend of poetry, science and memoir. It inspired a different appreciation for nature and all her gifts, along with further instilling a personal responsibility of protecting and reciprocating Mother Nature’s bounty.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and heartfelt read, even if it’s a bit detailed and technical at times, she keeps it worthwhile for the lessons learnt❤️

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tedious. I had to renew this book 3 times to finish it. Some parts were very interesting and educational. Overall, it was like reading a book of poetry, sometimes pleasurable, sometimes boring.

[Elizabeth S · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite moments…

“If we were gathered together, I'd lay freshly picked sweet grass in your hands. She would be loose and flowing, golden green and glossy at the top and the stems purple and white. I'd invite you to hold the bundle up to your nose and breathe her in. What words can capture that smell? It's like the fragrance of your mothers newly washed hair as she hugs you, or the melancholy smell of summer slipping into fall or the smell of a memory that makes you close your eyes for a moment and then a moment longer. As you breathe it in you start to remember things you didn't know you had forgotten"

I could read that and more like it again and again. However the book was a bit repetitive like others have said.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really needed the help of a good editor, as the author was clearly very passionate and has some great things to say, but as it was way too meandering without getting to the point, I started to drift a bit. Very difficult to read and I noted that others came to the same conclusion. My daughter listened to this and said it was much more enjoyable that way. Something that would have added weight for me would have been to omit saying "Western Science", it is simply science. What this author is talking about is a belief system. The well known New Zealand sociologist of education and a professor in the School of Critical Studies in Education, Elizabeth Rata is a good person to go to for aid in differentiating between these.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really struggled with what to rate this one. I listened to it so take that into consideration. It is a beautiful book. There were so many parts that I absolutely loved that made me want to be a better person and human and change the world. I did learn quite a bit, it was a good mix of educational and story telling. I think everyone should read this book. However, I did struggle to finish it. I found myself getting bored quite a bit. I think a lot of it may be preference though. Some parts were like listening to a text book, and that's just not for me, as interesting as it was. It really is worth the read (or listen) though and has a very powerful message.

[Alice Frati · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book in which the author reads Braiding Sweetgrass. Her voice is peaceful and has a quality of a true story teller. We need to deconstruct and reconstruct our perceptions of the natural world, and our relationship with the community, and to each other. Robin Kimmerer brings us indigenous stories, biology, gifts, and beauty of the natural world that bring hope and the desire to get out in the garden. A wonderful book that pulls you in and doesn’t let you go. Reciprocity to our land. How can we give back? That is the question. Definitely a good read!

[Natalie Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the audio book read by the author and her tender tone added even more depth and calm to this book.
I really appreciated her perspective on the earth and the blessings it gives and the honor we should show it in return. As a Christian, I don't share all of her religious-bent views of nature, but I certainly agree with her general themes that the earth is a gift and we should treasure and respect it by showing our gratitude. I do believe my approach to the earth and all it grows has been more enriched through reading this book - now I want to go plant a garden!

[Elisabeth Bialosky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book is absolutely worth reading given that Umes Santilal has many eye opening perspectives around the evolution of consumer culture and the separation of humanity from nature. Umes Santilal came to our class to speak on this, and I thought her verbal presentation of her material was both beautiful and incredibly salient. That said, I do think the book gets rather repetitive and some of the actual material feels watered down in written form.

[L.B. Holding · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this would have been a three-star for me if I had read the actual book vs. listened to the audio. The narrator was one of those people who sounds like she collects saliva in her lips as she reads, as if every word that starts with 'p' might just end up as spit on your jacket. An uncomfortable listen for one who hates mouth noises.

When I was able to focus on content, though, this was educational and spiritual and all the good things those five-star reviewers say.

[Suzanne Thackston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't too sure about this book at the beginning. I wasn't really interested in a book on herb lore (I've got a couple of good ones in my personal library if I need that sort of advice) and it seemed to be shaping up to be dreadfully earnest.

I'm not sure what happened. I think I was seduced.

Once I fell into the spell, the rhythm, the dance of the story, I was hooked.

Earnest? Yes, for sure. But in the right way. Gorgeous and important.

[Jennifer Korba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following the read of Killers of the Flower Moon, I enjoyed learning more about the culture of the indigenous peoples of America. It was beautiful and heart breaking. For the first 8 hours or so. It got a bit repetitive and could really have used a heavy editing hand for the next 8 hours. Still beautiful, but it’s harder to stay as involved when not properly edited for effectiveness.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for us to read in our Hidden Figures STEM book club. The author is from the Potawatomi Nation and her indigenous stories were fascinating. I loved the mix of the scientific and the spiritual. I love nature and Dr. Kemmerer's knowledge and passion are evident. It makes me hopeful for that we can reverse the damage we have done to our planet.

[chloe m · Rating 4 out of 5]

i enjoyed the prose of it all and the traditional stories — Robin Wall Kimmerer is a great writer. i especially enjoyed the chapter about the creation of turtle island and the one about Windigos.

my hawaiian friend said this is a book for white people and since then i haven’t been able to get that out of my head lol. i still enjoyed it.

[Susan Mcleod · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I listened to it as a audiobook, and it was long, but it kept me interested. The author wove stories of her Native American people, their history, with growing and living in America as a botanist, a single mom, an educator.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt my awareness of many things grow as I read this book. As the planet burns, floods, and creates new diseases, everyone should be considering restoration of the earthmother as we move forward with catastrophic events.

[Jo🦊Anie · Rating 3 out of 5]

J’avais entendu de très bonnes critiques de ce livre. Les premiers chapitres étaient intéressant et ont piqué ma curiosité. Cependant, j’ai décroché après environ 100 pages. J’ai terminé la lecture, mais je ne suis pas certaine que je le recommanderai.

[Annis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful writing, poetic and lyrical. I loved reading about the indigenous ceremonies and customs of taking care of the land and water. Loved how the author treated her children and students, her commitment to restoration.

[Joshman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story telling about the ways of Indigenous people, with precious information about the ways we could take care of the land. However, especially towards the end of the book, the writing style gets repetitive and very hard to digest.

Highly recommended.

[Carolyn Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this for STNBC; it was so good that I purchased my own copy! Every chapter is an educational adventure! I learned so much about plants, indigenous people, the earth. Very wise.