As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science.  As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers.  In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these lenses of knowledge together to show that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world.  For only when we can hear the languages of other beings are we capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learning to give our own gifts in return.

The book braids together three main themes: Sweetgrass and the customs surrounding it; Robin's journey as a Native American scientist and professor; and her experiences as a mother.

Group Review:  The average score for this novel was 9/10.  During the discussion many quotes from the book were shared by individual member with the rest of the group. Several remarked that they would be re-reading the book and buying it for family and friends.