Publishers Weekly
08/07/2023
“What are seeds if not a microcosm of the stages of being that mirror our own lives?” writes Cultivating Place podcaster Jewell (Under Western Skies) in this humdrum outing. Anecdotes from the author’s nature walks around her Northern California home serve as springboards for discussing plants’ reproductive processes, as when she recalls observing that the valley oaks in an unnamed canyon were producing an “unusually large crop” of acorns and explains that jays, deer, and other acorn eaters will alter their migration routes to feast on the seeds. Jewell’s reverence for the natural world comes through on every page—she contends “it’s absolutely miraculous” that iris plants, which “hold a good portion of their nutrients in their below-ground structures” to protect against fire or drought, are as “tenacious, fierce, and resourceful... as their largest kin, the trees.” Elsewhere, Jewell describes seed dispersal mechanisms, how corporate consolidation of seed suppliers has reduced the diversity of available seeds, and the Indigenous Seed Keepers Network’s efforts to supply Native American people with seeds “of cultural importance.” Unfortunately, attempts at profundity come across as hackneyed (“We are all seeds and this planet is our greater landscape”), and the decision to organize the volume around the author’s anecdotes makes the narrative feel haphazard. This doesn’t quite come together. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
What a wonderful, informative, useful book! A guidebook, a diary, a book of days, an almanac, a map, an encyclopedia, a corrective, and even a book of prayers….Wisdom Jewell shares with deepest grace.”—Camille T. Dungy, author of Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden
“A fascinating discourse on seeds, how we use and abuse them, and how to forge a more sustainable relationship with the seeds we depend on.”—Douglas W. Tallamy, author of Nature’s Best Hope
“A delightful blend of science and storytelling. With a single seed as her starting point, Jennifer Jewell takes us on a journey fueled by curiosity and wonder.” —Amy Stewart, author of Wicked Plants
“With elegance and vulnerability, Jewell weaves stories from ecology, horticulture, food and her own life into a full and round narrative that reflects the fragility, hope and resilience of seeds along with their impact on our daily lives.” —Uli Lorimer, Director of Horticulture at Garden In The Woods, Native Plant Trust
“Jewellinvites the reader to celebrate the extraordinary power and metaphor encapsulated in seeds.”—Jun Bando, Executive Director California Native Plant Society
“If you are a Cultivating Place listener, it’s likely you’ll hear Jennifer speaking as you read these words. This is a good thing; the curiosity in her voice adds another layer of appreciation to the topic of seeds; magical, glorious seeds.” —Loree Bohl, author of Fearless Gardening
“What We Sow unspools the essence of seeds as the planetary lifeboats they are. Our future may be uncertain, but, as anyone knows who’s ever poked a seed into dirt and watched in wonder as a tiny pair of leaves unfurls and grows, seeds give us hope.”—Pam Penick, author of Lawn Gone
“Jennifer Jewell is a wise guide and skilled storyteller. An enlightening and important book.”—Georgina Reid, creator of Wonderground and author of The Planthunter
"The personal, the historical, and the scientific are woven into Jennifer’s penetrative book, bringing our focus to the kernels grown in pastures and gardens that nourish humanity. What We Sow illuminates the importance of seeds in preserving our histories, heritage, cultures, and family legacies; and of the need to maintain the seed diversity that I hope will someday restore decimated landscapes across the planet.” —Wambui Ippolito
“With seeds as her lens, Jewell exquisitely and approachably calls our contemporary way of living to task for its "nature blindness" and offers strategies and stories of people and ways of being working towards a future that is more resilient, kind, and whole. I pray these seeds take root.” —David Godshall, TERREMOTO
“Jewell’s reverence for the natural world comes through on every page.”—Publishers Weekly
"A hope chest of seed — dried and stored — the stuff of the next possible sowing, and the next.”—The New York Times
“A beautiful, informed, heart-led and thoughtful book…Jewell shares the hard work and optimism of plants — and seedpeople who are working to assure a healthy and seedy future.”—The Seattle Times
“For all gardeners, the world contained within a seed is definitely worth exploring…. Jewell’s book is part diary, part discussion point.”—Gardenista
“Jennifer Jewell, host of the Cultivating Place podcast, weaves diaristic memoir with science writing in this meditative reflection on the importance of seeds.” —Civil Eats
“Part garden journal, part biology class and ecological reflection, this book is an exploration and celebration of seeds and their importance in our world.” —Garden Gate
“Jennifer Jewell’s book takes readers on a journey of the seed, helping readers understand the link between seeds, history, and culture; the influence of agribusiness on the seeds the world relies on; and the advocates working to reclaim seeds stolen from their communities.” —Food Tank
“Jewell’s homage to seeds will help you value your place in this world.” —Chico Enterprise Record
“A fascinating, research-based dive into the intricacies of seed, plants, and the interrelationship among species.”—The American Gardener
JANUARY 2024 - AudioFile
Jennifer Jewell does a fine job narrating her own work, a fascinating and sometimes frightening examination of the complex world of seeds. It is personal, political, and technical as it dives into the work of seeds, the threats they face, and the politics and economics that surround them. Jewell hosts a National Public Radio program and podcast, so she is no stranger to the art of narration. Her performance is steady as she goes. Her voice is pleasant and even, and her pacing deliberate. Impatient listeners might reach for their devices' speed controls to crank them up a bit. Jewell's calm approach to the text belies her concerns about the corporatization of seeds and agriculture. This important audiobook is well worth a listen. G.S. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
