Every day, we hear about and experience griefs, large and small, in our families, friendships, communities, and worldwide. The grief of a loved one passing. The grief of a way of life ceasing to exist. The grief of global pandemic, war, climate collapse.
In The Snag, the acclaimed author of Shame on Me, Tessa McWatt, takes on personal and collective grief, and climate change, in her much-anticipated second nonfiction book.
As her mother’s dementia advances and it becomes apparent that she can no longer live independently, Tessa considers griefs personal and political, and finds solace in trees. She asks: How do we grieve? And: What can we learn from nature and those whose communities are rooted in nature about how to grieve — and how to live?
From the newest seedling, to the oldest snag in the forest, there is meaning to be found in every stage of a tree’s life, all of which contribute to a thriving forest community; it is in this metaphor that Tessa begins to find answers to her questions about how to live (for each other), how to grieve (radically), and how to die (with love and connection).
The Snag is an essential book about living and dancing and singing and praying, even in the face of unimaginable sadness, and in this way, growing together and supporting one another, like the trees in the forest.
‘An extraordinary book — both a love song to the planet and reminder of how precious it is to be alive. Wise, bold, and deeply affecting, The Snag is an urgent plea for change.’
Stephanie Bishop, author of The Anniversary
‘In The Snag, Tessa McWatt dwells in powerful contradictions as she brings us along through her complex journeys of grief and joy across continents, offering multilayered and much-needed insight into connection and belonging beyond ourselves. Making the global intimate and the familial expansive, this book is a poignant lament for what we are losing and a call to care for what we have not yet lost.’
Kate Neville, author of Going to Seed
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‘I love this book; it made me cry and hope and eventually be still. Tessa McWatt is simply one of the best writers available to us. I suggest you read this now.’
Leone Ross, author of This One Sky Day
‘Terrific. A beautiful meditation on grief, the power of nature, and how communities recover from loss. Tessa McWatt is a deeply compassionate talent.’
Irenosen Okojie, author of Hag
‘The Snag is a raw and deeply personal exploration of trauma, grief, and environmental destruction … A profound must-read text on the yearning for radical change.’
Victoria Pratt, Creative Director, Invisible Flock and Land Body Ecologies
