I was gifted a copy of Why Women Grow by Alice Vincent last year, the giver saying they had started to read it and knew it was a book I’d enjoy. They were right, and I’m hoping that many of you will too.
Why Women Grow is a powerful book and one of those occasions of ‘you get out what you put in’. A lovely collection of touching stories if you just need a plant related read. But if you want to look a little deeper, it’s an opportunity to consider the role growing has in your life, what it has meant to you or someone you know, at different stages and situations. Each story brings a new reflection on how life, thoughts, family, community, politics, grief and self-care impact plant practice.
Alice Vincent anchors the book in her own garden and reflections, experiencing the seasons and asking what is driving her to dive her hands into the soil. Her search for answers finds her interviewing women that grow, in a green space of their choosing. We are taken to private gardens, historical sites, public spaces and even a prison greenhouse, and insights are shared through touching stories of motherhood, loss, love, relationships, connection, activism and determination as each woman answers the question, why do you grow?
I took my time with this book, letting each story sink in and think about how I can relate, and I’ve continued to question what working the soil means to me. I urge you to dig into this book, and I ask, why do you grow?
Review by Bec Bennett