The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson

 

Welcome fall! What gorgeous colors our part of the world is turning~ perfect weather to cozy up with a good book in a warm, quiet space. For those of you who haven't yet had a chance to read October's selection, The Seed Keeper, by Diane Wilson, I encourage you to do so at your earliest convenience in that cozy spot I mentioned... otherwise, The Worst Hard Time, by Timothy Egan, is coming up next for November's pick. Either way~ enjoy the beautiful views!

Without further ado! 

Rosalie Iron Wing has grown up in the woods with her father, Ray, a former science teacher who tells her stories of plants, of the stars, of the origins of the Dakota people. Until, one morning, Ray doesn't return from checking his traps. Told she has no family, Rosalie is sent to live with a foster family in nearby Mankato--where the reserved, bookish teenager meets rebellious Gaby Makespeace, in a friendship that transcends the damaged legacies they've inherited.

On a winter's day many years later, Rosalie returns to her childhood home. A widow and mother, she has spent the previous two decades on her white husband's farm, finding solace in her garden even as the farm is threatened first by drought and then by a predatory chemical company. Now, grieving, Rosalie begins to confront the past, on a search for family, identity, and a community where she can finally belong. In the process, she learns what it means to be descended from women with souls of iron--women who have protected their families, their traditions, and a precious cache of seeds through generations of hardship and loss, through war and the insidious trauma of boarding schools.

This book, and our esteemed guest speaker, Diane Wilson, the author of The Seed Keeper, were received in very warm regards. What a treat to have her with us via Zoom to share her processes and answer all of our questions. We found her to be very well spoken, composed and prepared. We like and admire her persistent work at advocating for clean, sustainable farming~ for the overall prosperity of the Earth and all it's people.

Members said they really liked the book and Mrs. Wilson's writing. They thought she did a tremendous job illustrating and navigating "prickly topics", that could easily have caused tension and strife both within the book, and among it's readers. We liked the characters and found them relatable and believable~ with special mention of Rosalie's calm disposition and ability to roll with life's ups and downs. Several members mentioned they loved the book, and had already recommended it to their friends and family. Others still have bought themselves a copy~ making important bookmark notations of their favorite passages. 

If there was any criticism offered, even after I specifically asked for some, I missed it. The only thing a couple of members could come up with for a negative mention would be that while we understood it in the context of the book, we didn't like that Rosalie ran to save the seeds in the fire, and not her son Thomas. Along those same lines, we didn't like that she seemed to take a very passive, almost removed, stance in her relationship with her son as he aged. She didn't appear to make an effort to connect and rebuild any bonds with him once he became entrenched in his relationship with his father, and his responsibilities on the farm. Ultimately leaving the farm in the end, without explanation or at least a note to Thomas, was difficult for some of us to grasp.

FUN FACT: This book got 4.75 stars in the end~ a first, all-time high score for our book club for as long as anyone present could remember! Wowza!

 

We're sorry anyone missed the meeting and the opportunity to hear Mrs. Wilson speak~ do you have anything to add to our discussion? Please do so down below!

Did you love The Seed Keeper too? Fans of the book also enjoyed: Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman, Leave the World Behind, by Rumaan Alam, and Invisible Girl, by Lisa Jewel. All of these titles are available in Viking~ reserve your copy today!   

 

At the conclusion of every book club discussion we ask three questions and track the average answers:
Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?
"YES"
Would we recommend this to a friend to read? 
"YES"
Rate the book 1-5 stars, with 1 being the lowest rating: 
 4.75 stars