Much has already been written about the unlikely success of the scientist, naturalist, and Indigenous elder Robin Wall Kimmerer. Braiding Sweetgrass, her meditation upon the interconnectedness of humans and nature, became a wildly successful best seller seemingly out of nowhere—despite having no mass-marketing campaign and an author with little social media presence.
But her success has never felt “unlikely” to me. Twelve years ago, after reading her first book, Gathering Moss, I took a pilgrimage to upstate New York to meet Robin in person. I had no choice; the beauty and power of her writing pulled me straight to her door. Since then, millions of readers have experienced that same magnetic pull—most recently with her newest offering, The Serviceberry. Just as nature finds a way, Robin has found her devoted readers. And during a time of tremendous environmental fear and uncertainty, we have found, to our immeasurable relief, our master teacher.
Gilbert is a best-selling author