Something in the Woods Loves You

De: Jarod K. Anderson

Narrado por: Jarod K. Anderson

An inspiring blend of nature writing and memoir that explores nature’s crucial role in our emotional and mental health

Bats can hear shapes, plants can eat light, and bees can dance maps. When his life took him to a painfully dark place, the poet behind The CryptoNaturalist, Jarod K. Anderson, found comfort and redemption in these facts and the shift in perspective that comes from paying a new kind of attention to nature.

Something in the Woods Loves You tells the story of the darkest stretch of a young person’s life, and how deliberate and meditative encounters with plants and animals helped him see the light at every turn. Ranging from optimistic contemplations of mortality to appreciations of a single mushroom, Anderson has written a lyrical love letter to the natural world and given us the tools to see it all anew.

Cover image copyright the Artist (Tuesday Riddell), reproduced with grateful thanks to MESSUMS ORG. Photo: Steve Russell.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Trees are medicine, Jarod Anderson tells us in this vivid memoir, and so are great blue herons, lightning bugs, racoons, mice, bats, and all of the twenty or so wild creatures he celebrates in these pages. They cannot cure his depression, but they can ease it, for they do not judge him or shame him. As they go about their lives, free of the anxiety, ambition, and guilt that often afflict our own species, they inspire the author to imagine how he might live with less pain and more meaning. Readers may find the book a balm for their own aches."—Scott Russell Sanders, author of The Way of Imagination

"Something in the Woods Loves You is a marvel of a book, blending unexpected wisdom with occasional whimsy, offering vivid observations of herons, hawks, trillium, and our human search for meaning. Jarod Anderson doesn’t shy away from the pain of mental illness and depression, but his utter honesty and love of the natural world offers all of us a rich, earthy experience of hope."

—Dinty W. Moore, author of To Hell With It

"Just as the trees make the forest, vulnerability, honesty, and hard-earned wisdom make shimmer Jarod K. Anderson’s Something in the Woods Loves You. At once both delicate and direct, irrepressible and resilient, Anderson’s memoir is a stunning debut in the genre."—Amy Butcher, author of Mothertrucker

Incredible writing

Inspirational stories and metaphors from nature, encouraging us to think about ourselves and our lives as humans, and how important it is to remember we are part of nature.
Bought the audiobook, listened, then bought the hardcover so I could take my time contemplating lines, and underline many. Highly recommend.

sincerity and humanity

was a very honest and hopeful listen and author haha very soothing voice. I would recommend.

Life changing perspective

This book is so beautiful and meaningful. It will stay with me for years to come. What a talented author!

my favorite book in 25 years

one of the most well explained story's I've had the joy of hearing. the way Anderson weaves a beautiful tapestry of life is astonishing.

Roots of Connection

I’ve been following Jarod’s Cryptonaturalist Instagram for years and purchased both of his books of poetic musings. To be totally transparent, I wasn’t sure what to expect from his memoir, as there are times when his posts didn’t resonate with me much at all. This book, however, deeply connected with parts of me that I’ve never been able to articulate or share.

The way he is able to infuse specific references from nature with his own journey through depression and life’s challenges is worthy of literary recognition as well as a valuable resource for anyone struggling with mental health imbalances.

A richly descriptive, often humorous, and deeply vulnerable story, I read it in hardback and listened to it on audible in order to experience Jarod sharing his personal story firsthand. I will likely refer to it again and again and already purchased additional copies for friends.

Give yourself the gift of a walk through the forest of connection with Jarod. You will come away cheering him on and feeling seen, perhaps for the first time.

Not a nature book, but still…

Though the book connects the author’s healing to the natural world, the main focus is on his depression. So, this is much less a nature book than a reflection on mental health. Maybe a bit rambling at times, but also offering some gems of insight and language. From Chapter 19: "In lieu of having all the answers, I turn to what I do know. In the end, you were a part of the sky on loan to a body, a part of the sea that awoke to thought, a part of the earth that carried a name."

Exceptional

Exceptional book about depression, addressing depression and the ongoing process of healing. Inspiring and insightful.

So much more than a memoir for me!

I loved this book…. So helpful in so many ways & such great descriptions of beautiful things in the woods & nature

Gentle, honest, and real.

This book felt like finding the perfect stick in the woods. Something I wasn’t looking for and didn’t expect to find, but offered sturdy support while I stayed on my own two feet, carrying my own weight, but with a little reassurance that I am not totally alone in this. My clinical depression is severe and lifelong, so I appreciate the concept of living with it and managing symptoms as opposed to trying to “get rid” of anything. I did need to set it down once because reading about sadness can be hard on extra sad days, but I was eager to pick it back up again when I was feeling better. There is a vulnerability in sharing life struggles that I appreciate, I’ve been seeking more memoirs like this since reading it. I also resonate with leaning on the natural world for comfort, something I’ve done for as long as I can remember. Jarod’s writing has an ease and flow that keeps me both calm and engaged, delighted and absorbed, just like in his poetry and podcast. His voice is easy to listen to and doesn’t get in the way of the message. I’m so grateful to find this comforting story of another human, struggling and learning with an optimism that doesn’t feel flowery or unrealistic. It’s more leafy, weathered, and curious.

Touching, moving and beautiful

Tears of joy and healing well up in my eyes as I write this review just after finishing this book. The connection of nature and ourselves and how we are a part of each other resonated so deeply with me. Thank you for writing this book, I loved it.