To kick off the Homebodhies book club, the obvious choice was Robin Wall Kimmerer’s The Serviceberry. I will read anything Kimmerer writes, and it is no exaggeration to say that her books have altered the course of my life and continue to shape my relationship with the natural world, years after reading them.
In The Serviceberry, Kimmerer writes of the gift economy that underpins the natural world. An economy rooted in abundance, unlike our capitalist economy which relies on artificial scarcity. This book is a call to action for all of us who crave a more just and benevolent system — one that supports the wellbeing of the community, not just the individual.
“Gratitude and reciprocity are the currency of a gift economy, and they have the remarkable property of multiplying with every exchange, their energy concentrating as they pass from hand to hand, a truly renewable resource.” — Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Serviceberry
I first read The Serviceberry last year, on a friend’s recommendation, and it reframed the way I view reciprocity and inspired much of this week’s newsletter. Rereading it again now, I’m inspired anew to minimise my participation in the extractive system of capitalism and to find small, meaningful ways to mimic the gift economy of nature — whether within my local community, this online community, or even just a small circle of neighbours and friends.