Into Movement

So, I have finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I was the first to check it out of the library. Literally had the paraprofessionals speed up processing so I could get my hands on it. And Oh. It was lovely. I savored every moment. Well, not every moment. The essays from her oldest daughter were a bit tedious. But that may have only been in comparison to Kingsolver's melodic style.

Because I loved Prodigal Summer so much...(in fact, just thinking about it and writing that post the other day has caused such a yearning in my heart that I pulled it off the shelf and am reading it again. It has cast this spell over me in which each and every word is read, enunciated, and savored in my mind. Ah.), Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is like the 'behind the scenes' in a non-obvious kind of way. If you know Prodigal Summer as well as I do, and indeed, I can quote the book, then you can see where Kingsolver got her inspirations for these little minute details. But that is not really the point. The point is that, all by itself, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is a wonderful tale. Non-fiction for those of you who are into that, and wonderful.

See, I can't stomach non-fiction so much of the time. (Ok, all the time.) I need poetry and dialog and action to keep me interested. But this was such a page turner. Probably because I was so interested in what she had to say and how she had to say it. Local foods. Supporting the community that you live in. Taking care of the planet in your own back yard and everywhere else all at the same time. Making conscientious decisions. All that without sounding condescending or holier-than-thou. Now THAT is an accomplishment.

I have never read a book that has sent me flying to the computer so often. A call to action that has spoken so deeply to me I needed to find out how to take these baby steps for myself and my family. And also, a miracle of my own. So often I feel so isolated in my community, but this has caused me to call local farmers, to visit the markets, and to treasure what I have. It has caused me to take action to support my community because it is MINE. Reading this book has given me a feeling of ownership. And we take care of what we own, you know? So I would encourage you to check this book out. It just might change your mind about some stuff. It just might confirm everything you already know. But maybe, just maybe if you read it and I read it and your neighbor reads it, we can create a Movement into Movement.