World of Wonders

 

What a grand springtime surprise! This beautiful book of essays arrived, an unexpected gift from a dear friend I haven't seen in way too long. 

And what a delight to read! The subtitle: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments only hints at the richness of this author's prose. Chapter by chapter she meditates on different astonishing creatures--axolotls and cassowaries, red-spotted newts and birds-of-paradise, to name a few, using each meditation as a springboard to ruminations on nature and on her own life--as the daughter of two peripatetic academics, an Indian and a Filipina.

She describes the loneliness of being, not only the new kid in school, but being one of the few brown kids--or later, adults-- in mostly white surroundings. Even when she makes friends, "I was tired of being the one brown friend to so many people."

It's the little things that add up: being asked 'what' she is, having strangers say Namaste to her--and these are kindly meant, unlike the overt racism she has also had to deal with.

The wonders of the natural world--Cara cara oranges, ribbon eels, Corpse Flowers -- also lead into meditations on childhood, family, marriage, motherhood, writing, and the sad diminution of general appreciation of nature. This book is not just a world of wonders--it's a galaxy of beauty and wisdom--and a warning.

Nezhukumatathil is not an author I've read before, but I'll be seeking out her other works.

Highly recommended!