Reviewed by annieb123 on
Weedy Wisdom for the Curious Forager is a nicely put together guide to wild foraging written and curated by Rebecca Randall Gilbert. Due out 8th May 2022 from Llewellyn Worldwide, it's 264 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
The author has a very down to earth (sorry, pun intentional) accessible and friendly style of writing and this book is set up like an activity workshop, with guided introductions to different plants, their uses, and allied information on how to utilize them to best effect. There are some recipes and tutorials, but mostly the focus is on the plants and how to find and understand them to a safe degree without harming the ecosystem or readers themselves.
Although the entire book has an alternative/holistic feel, this book in particular is presented in a competent and friendly way and doesn't drown the reader with overwhelming amounts of "woo woo" or pseudo-science (although there a mention of magic and interconnectedness the book is safety conscious and sound).
There are no photographs but the book is beautifully illustrated with pen and ink chapter frames and full page plant portraits. There's a table of contents, recipe lists, and a general index for finding information quickly.
Five stars. Illuminating, useful and worthwhile. This would be a superlative selection for public library acquisition, gardeners, foragers, smallholders, community gardens, and the like.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- Finished reading
- 1 May, 2022: Reviewed