The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey is a short work of nonfiction, which I've been wanting to read for quite awhile now. It has a catchy title and after reading what it was about, I knew I had to read it. I received the paperback edition of The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating for Christmas in 2016 from my husband, so I decided to read this book right away.
WOW, Wow, wow, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey is an awesome book to read!! I was really blown away with how much I enjoyed reading this book. Seriously, who'd ever think reading about snails would be so interesting, unless, of course, you're a malacologist (one who studies mollusks)?!?! The author, Elisabeth Tova Bailey, makes reading about snails interesting for the lay person, by writing about the topic of snails in a unique and engaging way.
Essentially, Elizabeth Tova Bailey comes down with a mysterious virus she contracts while visiting Europe that leaves her weak and virtually bedridden for many years. When a friend brings the author a pot of violets that includes a live snail, Ms. Bailey soon finds endless fascination in watching the snail live its life. Over time, the author, Elisabeth Tova Bailey, wants to learn more about the lives of snails and begins researching snails.
During the course of reading The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating, I read about not only the author's life, but also about her curiosity and fascination with the snail she had been given, as well as information about snails in general. Eventually, Elisabeth Tova Bailey begins to recover and she returns the snail to the wild.
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey provides a wonderful balance of sharing information about the author's life and the lives of snails in general. Everything in The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey is presented in fascinating bite sized, informative chunks. This book isn't a dry, boring academic read, but a charming book that shares nature to the masses in a way that everyone is able to enjoy.
I can fully understand why The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey has won the following book awards:
- John Burroughs Medal Award for Distinguished Natural History
- William Saroyan International Prize for Nonfiction
- National Outdoor Book Award
- Gold Foreword Book of the Year Award for Autobiography/Memoir
*Starred Review* At age 34, Bailey was stricken with a mysterious virus while on a trip to Europe. Her healthy life had been full of activity, and now just the thought of getting up to get something was exhaustive. When a friend found some violets and brought her one in a pot, she also added a live snail below the violet’s leaves. Bailey wondered why she needed a snail, but after square holes began to appear in a letter propped on the violet’s pot, it occurred to Bailey that the snail needed food. She put a withered flower in the saucer below, and when the snail began to eat, Bailey realized that she could hear it eating—it was the sound of someone very small munching on celery. Soon the author realized she was attached, the snail providing an oasis of calm for her frantic and frustrated thoughts. She worried that the snail’s world was too artificial, so her caregiver created a woodland terrarium. Not only did the snail have a new home but Bailey had a new game: hide-and-seek with a snail. She began to read about snails, learning from scientists, early naturalists, poets, and writers, and found herself beginning to understand a snail’s world. And when her snail began to lay eggs, Bailey discovered that she might be the first person to record observations of a snail tending its eggs. This beautiful little book will not only make snail lovers of its readers, it will make them appreciate the small things in life. --Nancy Bent --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.Watch the following YouTube Video about The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey.
I am giving The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.
Until my next post, happy reading!!
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