Books Marrying Memoir and Nonfiction with Nature
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When I take the Corgis to Perris Mountain State Park, I feel like I can breathe again. I step into the forest, and the tree branches spread like cathedrals above our heads. Amidst the tranquility of nature, I finally felt at peace amidst the chaos of the world. Here, the trees whisper quiet affirmations as the wind carries woodsy incense in the air.
It’s no surprise that many of us worship nature. There is something about that special feeling of awe and wonder when you feel in your body that you too are a small part of this big beautiful world. For centuries, writers have praised nature in their works. Nature writing is a beloved genre in its own right, but there’s something special about a book that blends a strong sense of self into its work. Combining the right mix of nature writing and memoir, these writers have found a niche for themselves that celebrates the natural world and their place in it.
These genre-bending books are perfect for memoir lovers who want to dabble in nature writing or for nature lovers who want to venture into memoir. If you’re looking for a place to start, I’ve compiled some of my favorite genre-bending nature memoirs that would be perfect for your TBR.
h is for hawk by Helen MacDonald
I’ll never forget the first time I read h is for hawk. I recently graduated from graduate school and got the courage to read again for fun when I saw the audiobook h is for hawk From my public library. I had never heard of the author nor knew anything about falconry, but I knew this book was for me. After MacDonald’s father dies, she buys a baby goshawk and raises it by hand. Her insightful prose and depth of emotion on the page meshes perfectly with her description of the falcon. Now, more than ten years later, h is hawk Has been turned into a film starring Claire Foy.
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Knowledge, Scientific Knowledge, and Plant Teachings By Robin Wall Kimmerer
In this modern classic, Potawatomi author Robin Wall Kimmerer blends her scientific background with the traditions of her Native Nation to create this must-read book that celebrates the natural world and our place in it. In one essay, Kimmerer describes the lifecycle of a pond she has reclaimed, and what she follows as the land tries to reclaim it. Few people can truly capture the beauty of Earth’s creatures the way she can
All Access members continue below for more books matching nature, non-fiction, and memoir.
Lab Girl: A Memoir By Hope Jahren
We employ scientists in this house, and there are few botanists I love more than Hope Geren. His writings are like meditations on plants. Geren brings a lot of herself to the page as she explains how her life has been influenced by her scientific field, her work in plant study and cataloguing. I will never forget his description of him and his lab partner meticulously cataloging plant samples and then slowly trying to get them all back home through the airport. I admit, I’ve never been so stressed by reading a book about plants!
A World of Wonders: In Praise of the Firefly, the Whale Shark, and Other Wonders By Amy Nezhukumatathil, illustrated by Fumi Nakamura
From anecdotes from the life of Nezhukumatathil to lovely paintings by artist Fumi Nakamura, world of Wonders It’s the perfect package. Nezhukumatathil explains how her parents taught her a love of nature, but as a child of Indian immigrants, she didn’t see many people like her on nature trails. various chapters of world of Wonders Check out what it’s like to be a South Asian nature-lover in America.
How far the light reaches: one life in ten sea creatures By Sabrina Imbler
When? how far does light reach Hitting the shelves, the nonfiction bookish Internet was abuzz about this genre-bending essay collection. Each essay describes a different sea creature – an octopus, a goldfish, a bobbit worm – and connects it to Imbler’s life. Imbler examines these creatures and the lessons they can teach us with such care and adoration. His love for his subject fills every page.
Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature J. By Drew Lanham
In the 1970s, J. Drew Lanham fell in love with the natural world around him. He became an avid birdwatcher, conservationist and poet. and it shows! His prose details every bird and new bloom he sees while wandering the forests of South Carolina. But some people thought it was strange for a black man to fall in love with an outsider. With your clear vision, home place Highlights how Lanham’s sense of self coincides with ideas related to rural places and belonging.
The path through the forest: of mushrooms and grief By Long Lit Voon, Barbara J. Translated by Haviland
Long moved to Norway from Malaysia, and she and her Norwegian husband spent many happy years together, building a beautiful life. But when her husband died, Long didn’t know how she would live without him. But one day, he finds a mushroom, and then another. Soon she joins a group of fellow forest dwellers, and makes many new friends along the way. forest paths This includes these detailed pieces about mushrooms, where Long’s joy is infectious in the best possible way.
Crows’ Rest: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl
Margaret Renkel is one of America’s best Southern columnists for a reason. She can write about anything and make it interesting. In crow’s restShe shares the comings and goings of her rural backyard for a year. Each section focuses on a different season. In one, Renkl sees the fox wandering among flowering bushes after a harsh winter. It’s a love letter to the simple things in life that make it worth living.
Whichever book you choose, you’re sure to find refuge in nature. For more nature-focused books, check out Must read books about the natural world And Go Out and Touch the Grass: 7 Inspirational Books About Nature and the Environment.