A Book-in-Progress, or a Reviewer Loses Her Last Marble

by

Andi Miller

Rarely does a book so firmly grab me by the hair that I feel compelled to review it while still reading. I realize this is an implication of insanity on my part as a reviewer. Given the guilt I feel at gibbering about this book without having turned the last page, “review” might be a touch too strong of a word. Let us call it a rant, or a rave of the positive variety. Without doubt, Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life is inspiring, hilarious, and a joy to read. In short, it is deserving of the mythical review-while-in-progress.

As you might have guessed, given my finicky leanings, the books I previewed as possible mountain vacation fare a couple of weeks ago did not pan out. Instead I waffled over my choices, stuck a couple of tomes in my suitcase, and promptly bought Animal, Vegetable, Miracle from a charming independent bookseller. Luckily for me, Kingsolver seems to be the perfect fit for my inner activist. My mood as of late tends toward the environmental, as I increasingly put forth my best effort to buy local and organic foods.

I realize Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is an “it” book right now. You know, that book. The one everyone is reading, everyone is talking about, everyone is blogging about. In fact, it was through the bloggy channels I frequent that I really came to understand that this book is one worth picking up in the face of all the hype.

For the uninitiated, Kingsolver and her family—husband Steven and daughters Camille and Lily—embark upon a year of food nirvana. They seek to understand and live in harmony with the changing seasons and the crops that coincide with those seasons. They raise their own vegetables, farm some of their own meat and eggs, and the things that are not readily available from their own garden are provided via neighbors and the local farmer’s market.

As a person living in a rural southern town, (not so far from Kingsolver’s Virginia home place), growing my own food and buying locally are issues that have recently taken center stage for me. With a yard full of growing things; hanging fuchsia, salvia, marigolds, sweet potato vines, dwarf lilies, and a barrage of koi pond-loving water plants, the next frontier is herbs and veggies. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is informative on varying levels, but one such plane is the practical one. I have learned more about growing seasons, heirloom seeds, and gardening in general than I did throughout an entire childhood and adolescence amidst garden-loving relatives. Much of this sad truth surely has to do with a decided lack of interest back then and a skyrocketing thirst for knowledge now. Better late than never, eh?

On the purely inspirational level, the book has been a sizzling slap in the face. Maybe I’m funny about things like this, but waves of responsibility and grown-up ability seem to hit me at odd times. At the age of 27, it only recently dawned on me that I could buy a car all by myself and that people my age are buying houses, or at least saving toward buying houses. You mean I can do those things, too? I’m old enough? It might be silly, but it’s true. These realizations are things that I always assumed people grow into over time while my epiphanies still strike like lightning. Kingsolver’s book is helping me realize—to a new and elevated extent—that I too can grow my own food. I can choose to support local family farms as opposed to the corporate farming machine. I could even raise chickens! OK, that might be pushing it, but I can seek out free range chicken from local growers as a safer, healthier, more environmentally friendly option.

While I rarely rave about a book in progress, it’s sort of wonderful when it does happen. The core of the magic in Kingsolver’s—the angle that makes it worthy of a review-while-in-progress—is the challenge it presents to readers. Never judgmental, always with a warm writerly touch, her passion for local, healthy, environmentally prosperous food is infectious. Only the most passionate of books merits a review-while-in-progress. Maybe it isn’t such a crazy idea after all.

 So completely have I come to love Kingsolver’s family and their goals that I am compelled to change some of my own practices for the greater good of my community and my health. One particular episode that motivated me to change relates to the seed industry in America. Only a handful of companies control the distribution and marketing of vegetable seed to consumers. Most varieties of fruits and vegetables are genetically engineered for a hefty product that travels well, and as a result the vegetables lack taste and myriad varieties have disappeared completely. It was once common practice that farmers would keep their tastiest, healthiest, longest-lasting seeds and prosperous varieties naturally became stronger and more unique. Those of us yearning to hoe a row of Christmas lima beans (pictured on the cover of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle) can secure innovate seeds from heirloom seed catalogs. Groups of growers that trade and sell heirloom seeds are on the rise, and many varieties of plants can only be secured through the heirloom seed niche.   Through the use of heirloom seeds one can help preserve an American culture of food all the while sending a strong message to the seed industry to step up their game in regards to variety and quality. Next year’s planting season will find me neck deep in heirloom seed catalogs.

I remember once, someone asked me if a book ever changed my life—if it is even possible that books can literally change people’s lives. I can only say that it is true for me, and I can’t be the only one. While I have always realized the importance of healthy eating—although I often fall short in America’s fast food society—Animal, Vegetable, Miracle brings hard facts and testimonial evidence to the table. Not only can local and organic foods keep us healthy as individuals, they can strengthen the culture of food in our nation and offer an alternative to big business. Candid, honest writing charged with well-researched details can inspire us in whatever our plight might be, and I owe a great debt to Barbara Kingsolver for opening my eyes to some newfound knowledge that is already seeping into my everyday buying practices, cooking, and my motivation to help preserve the environment.

Now, while I hate to rush off, I have some free range chicken to track down for dinner.


Andi is a recovering university academic employed by the North Carolina community college system as an English instructor. While she decided to forego a Ph.D. and career as a professor, she fills in all the free time her current position affords her with editing literary publications, reviewing, freelancing, and blogging at Estella’s Revenge. Herwork can be found in the journal, Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (MELUS), and Altar magazine as well as online in various venues such as PopMatters.com. She is a member of the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC), and writes fiction. Her turn-ons include new books and gelato, while her turn-offs are reality television and washing dishes. She can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it