In brief: Tell Me What I Am; The Language of Trees; The Book of Minds – review
Una MannionFaber, £14.99, pp336 Ruby’s mother, Deena Garvey, disappeared when Ruby was a young child. Now living with her controlling father, Lucas, and his enabling mother, Ruby remembers almost nothing about her mum and is not permitted to ask any questions. Meanwhile, Deena’s sister, Nessa, has never relinquished her conviction that Lucas was responsible for Deena’s disappearance. Cycling back and forth in time, and pivoting between Ruby and Nessa’s perspectives, Mannion creates a haunting and deeply moving portrayal of the complexities of domestic abuse, family relationships and grief.
The Language of Trees: How Trees Make Our World, Change Our
Minds and Rewild Our Lives
Katie HoltenElliott& Thompson, £16.99, pp320
Artist and activist Holten has assembled a compendium of writings about our enduring connection to trees. Including artists, writers and fellow campaigners, almost 70 contributors – from Zadie Smith and Robert Macfarlane to Ada Limón and Tacita Dean, by way of Plato and Radiohead – share their unique perspectives through poetry, essays and personal reflections. The result is immersive, celebratory and timely, with it all beautifully illustrated by Holten.
The Book of Minds: How to Understand Ourselves and Other Beings, from Animals to Aliens
Philip BallPicador, (paperback)
£12.99, pp512
Writer and broadcaster Ball investigates how we might perceive the mind if we did not put humans at the centre of our understanding. Highlighting that other cultures have attributed “minds” to everything from rocks and rivers to trees and the weather, he argues that we should look beyond humans to truly understand what a mind encompasses. Combining neurology, philosophy, computer science and artificial intelligence, it’s a fascinating and illuminating account.
• To order Tell Me What I Am, The Language of Trees or The Book of Minds go to guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply