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When the first poem (Give Me This) focused on a groundhog eating the tomatoes in the author's garden, I had a feeling that I would connect well with this book. Some of the other poems that seem to be sticking in my mind are Intimacy (regarding her mother's interaction with horses) and The Mountain Lion (maybe because I just recently attended a great library program featuring trail cam videos of wildlife in the Chicago suburbs).

I saw this on Jeff VanderMeer's list of climate fiction recommendations in the New York Times. It's focused on Frankie, a MacArthur genius grant recipient who is studying bonobos. Her experience with endometriosis is an important part of the book. I appreciated the unsettling dystopian aspects of the novel (e.g., E-musement screens that won't turn off, malfunctioning "bodyware" implants, etc.), and the climate elements were well done also (e.g., a massive dust storm). The bonobos are truly fascinating and are significant characters in the story. In the second half, it started to feel like more of a thriller, but then it began to drag a bit and get somewhat repetitive. There were also few times when I thought that certain thoughts or dialogue didn't ring true or quite make sense in the context (same with some NY vs. Midwest tropes), but those are minor complaints. Overall it was very interesting and engaging.

It took me a while to catch up to the rhythm of this book, with its quick word play and fragmented storytelling, but after that I really enjoyed it. As with Autumn, it covers a lot of ground, from the political (e.g., Brexit and the Greenham Common protests) to the personal (e.g., long-estranged sisters reconnecting but still butting heads). There's also some absurdity, like the busload of birders chasing Canada Warbler sightings. The shenanigans with Art and the woman he hires to pose as his girlfriend, Charlotte, are hilarious.

After seeing Ron Charles mention this book in his newsletter ("a work of illustrated nonfiction that will awaken and haunt anyone who reads it"), I decided to check it out to mark the 4th anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is powerful and very timely, providing important background on Russia's long history of aggression and also highlighting aspects of the authoritarian playbook in general.