November 2015: Eating Wildly: Foraging for Life, Love and the Perfect Meal

Our November 2015 Eating Wildly: Foraging for Life, Love and the Perfect Meal by Ava Chin. The description fascinates me, and I hope we all learn lots about plants and herbs. Plus, the Huffington Post named her one of "9 Contemporary Authors You Should Be Reading."

ABOUT THE BOOK

In this touching and informative memoir about foraging for food in New York City, Ava Chin finds sustenance...and so much more.

Urban foraging is the new frontier of foraging for foods, and it's all about eating better, healthier, and more sustainably, no matter where you live. Time named foraging the "latest obsession of haute cuisine," but the quest to connect with food and nature is timeless and universal.

Ava Chin, aka the "Urban Forager," is an experienced master of the quest. Raised in Queens, New York, by a single mother and loving Chinese grandparents, Chin takes off on an emotional journey to make sense of her family ties and romantic failures when her beloved grandmother becomes seriously ill. She retreats into the urban wilds, where parks and backyards provide not only rare and delicious edible plants, but a wellspring of wisdom.

As the seasons turn, Chin begins to view her life with new "foraging eyes," experiencing the world as a place of plenty and variety, where every element--from flora to fauna to fungi--is interconnected and interdependent. Her experiences in nature put her on a path to self-discovery, leading to reconciliation with her family and finding true love.

Divided into chapters devoted to a variety of edible and medicinal plants, with recipes and culinary information, Eating Wildly will stir your emotions and enliven your taste buds.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ava Chin is the author of the award-winning "Eating Wildly: Foraging for Life, Love, and the Perfect Meal," which Library Journal named one of the "Best Books of 2014." Described by Kirkus Reviews as "A delectable feast of the heart," Eating Wildly won 1st Prize in the MFK Fisher Book Awards 2015. Ava Chin's writing has appeared in the New York Times (as the "Urban Forager"), Marie Claire, the Village Voice, and Saveur, among others. An associate professor of creative nonfiction at CUNY, she lives in Manhattan with her husband and daughter. The Huffington Post named her one of "9 Contemporary Authors You Should Be Reading."

Tamar discussion questions

1) Characterize the relationship between Tamar and Dart. How do they feel about each other? What is this relationship based on? Why doesn't Tamar tell Dart about Marjike?
2) What kind of person does it take to do Tamar and Dart's job? Why did they choose this, despite the risks? Do you think they regret it? What would you do?
3) How do you think 1995 and 1944 are connected? What makes you think that? How does the switch back and forth affect your reading?
4) What is the purpose of girl Tamar's trip? How does this match her grandfather's purpose for sending her on the trip? How is this trip changing her?
5) In the end of the book, do you agree with the decision of all the characters? Do you agree with Peet's decision as a writer? How would you have changed the end of the novel?
6) Were there any puzzles or questions left unanswered?