Dandelion Roots Run Deep

An Environmental Memoir

De: Merry Clark, Merrill Clark

Narrado por: Merry B. Clark

"Dandelion Roots Run Deep" is the true story of three generations of tenacious Midwestern women, one in Illinois and two in Michigan. Merry is the third generation, and her mother Merrill, fought for organic agriculture and Michigan's environment from 1967 - 2009. Merrill developed Alzheimer's before finishing her book, so Merry took her story to fruition.

Esther, Merrill's mother, ran a small farm almost singlehandedly with three children during wartime America. Merry survived cancer to bring the stories together into one book. Merry is the narrator of this story.

The dandelion roots are a metaphor for the roots connecting these three generations of women who "nevertheless persisted" and the tenacity of those roots. The story traces Esther's life as a farm wife, Merrill's marriage, and the harrowing cross-country trip she took with her husband, John, before they launched their ultimate mission: starting an organic farm in 1980 in Michigan, facing huge obstacles.

Merrill Clark went on to become a charter member of the National Organic Standards Board and she describes some of her early experiences on the board. The story includes the dramatic difficulties of running a family organic farm in the 80s, as well as what happened to the farm more recently.The dandelion analogy works on many levels in this book: the family roots, the roots being part of the solution to climate change, and the roots that connect to other issues that underlie the lived experiences of these three women.

This book is even structured like a dandelion. It begins with a short article about the value of dandelions, and it ends with the issues that intertwine with the lives of these three tenacious women. "Dandelion Roots Run Deep" will appeal to lovers of Wendell Berry, Rachel Carson, and Aldo Leopold, environmentalists, women, and anyone dealing with Alzheimer's.

©2023 Merry B. Clark (P)2024 Merry B. Clark

When does the movie come out?

I felt as though I was watching a movie when I was reading this piece of Americana. I found this book to be extremely interesting and original, you could say organic. Three generations of strong women with strong values in the American Midwest following their values and their family. Adventure, risk, courage, and determination is alive and real in this mother and daughter collaboration. Merrill Clark was a leader and pioneer in organic agriculture and her efforts and achievements are, like this book, a gift to current and future generations.

Family, Passion, Compassion!

I appreciated the format of using individual voices, often for the same event or topic. I truly enjoyed the stories, the backgrounds, and history behind each generation. I was delighted by the vocal sound effects of starting the International truck! I adored the passionate diatribes involving regenerative and/or organic farming and environmental awareness. Brava!