2023~34. Finding The Mother Tree

Suzanne Simard. 2021.

I really appreciate this relatively new type of memoir written by a woman in a STEM field about the complexity of navigating their lives and careers as they pioneer their way through male-dominated professions.  This one was not a disappointment.  It was like Hidden Figures (which I loved) meets The Overstory (which I did not love).  There was a lot of detail about forests, tree, and fungi.  It will come to no surprise to many to hear that found this part boring, saved only by the analogies to things I am actually interested in that made parts of these sections interesting enough.  I am certain that the people who like that stuff will like this part of the story.  What I did find compelling was the politics of her work and her struggle to balance family life and work.  I am also drawn in by memoirs written by people who are obviously passionate about their field of expertise.  For me, this story also resonated for me as she moved between Corvallis, Oregon, and Vancouver, BC, -- two places that I have called home.  It reminded me how, living in a university town, how many interesting people move through here that we never even know are here while they are here.  

​Recommend.  

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