This one came to my attention when it was longlisted (and ultimately Highly Commended) for the Wainwright Prize - the themes of identity, belonging and travel are all catnip to me, so it jumped out at me and I immediately ordered it.

It’s an enjoyable essay collection, with Lee using her own experiences as a Canadian born to a Taiwanese mother and Welsh father as jumping-off points to touch on how we relate to plants culturally, the use of plants as instruments of colonisation and how that feeds into our own identity and sense of belonging (or not). It’s also a celebration of the joy certain plants can bring us.

Lee’s introspective reflections on the plants we encounter in childhood books were particularly interesting - there’s a lot to unpack in the confusing nostalgia over British plants that are actually invasive (or downright pests) elsewhere.

I was left wanting to read more about the use of plants as tools of colonisation, whether through the exploitation of plants from colonies or the introduction of plants to colonies. Other than a few examples, it’s an aspect of colonialism which I rarely see discussed in depth, but which has shaped the current ecology of the world rather more than we realise.

A considered, intelligent and enjoyable collection of essays exploring our cultural and personal relations to plants, and how this shapes our identities and sense of belonging.