Holds...little wonders and more ... The Weeds is really a wonderful book. There's drama and self-finding and a whole lot of fascinating botanical info that'll get you out in your own garden. Katy Simpson Smith really revels in what she reveals about the natural world as well as the human one. The amount of research surely involved must have been dizzying. But worth it.
Through their observant, witty accounts, the protagonists contend with potential romantic partnerships and family pressures while pursuing achievements in male-dominated spaces. Any concern that the structural concept could overshadow the plot is dispelled; in fact, Smith’s novel exemplifies the importance of combining science and storytelling. Erudite, playful, and filled with fury about gender inequality, this can be recommended to readers of cli-fi and feminist literary fiction.
The novel moves in quick (and often blurry) shifts between these centuries and women. They mirror parts of each other ... The Weeds requests the reader to observe and look for connections, to question structures and patterns, and to discover new ways of seeing. Each detail is carefully attuned and revealed, and each seed opens at the moment it needs to bloom and stretch. Patience is necessary, but close attention reveals infinite rewards.
Sensuous and sprawling ... There’s not much narrative momentum, but the potent details bring this to vibrant life. Patient readers will enjoy stopping to smell the clematis.
