The Earth is asking for your help. Are you listening?

A powerful depiction of the juxtaposition of hopelessness and hope that we we feel when faced with our human impact on nature. Told through interconnected stories from individual perspectives, Schulyer reflects the inner conflicts and justifications we use to assuage our own guilt and/or give ourselves a sense of purpose in the climate change battle.

Ultimately uplifting in its message, it reminds us of the responsibility we hold as individuals to each other and to our planet, and the power we have as a collective.

A hopeful read that leaves you fully charged to take positive action.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance e-galley; all opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

In This Ravishing World, by Nina Schuyler, is a collection of nine short stories that successfully connect a diverse cast of characters around the central theme of how people view nature and climate change.

Each story is told from a different point of view, and Nature also weighs in as a voice. These people differ greatly in age and walks of life, as do their perceptions about our global problem that needs urgent attention. There is both despair and hope in these beautifully written stories, along with some thought provoking ideas.

It’s not often that I read short story collections, but I was impressed with how well this author wove her characters into each other’s lives to varying degrees, and how nicely the last story provided such a harmonious, joyful, and hopeful feeling. Overall, these stories form an inspirational narrative. I would recommend this collection to anyone.


Thank you to Netgalley and Regal House Publishing for this most enjoyable experience.

A wonderful selection of short stories that I very much enjoyed. I loved how the characters reappeared in each other’s stories! They gave hope and showed kindness and were super inspiring.

Every story was enjoyable but my favourite was The Object of Dancing. I’m not even sure why, I just loved being inside Ed’s head.

Thoroughly recommended. I’ll revisit this author again - I first read her glorious novel The Translator and recommend that as well (another 4 star read for me).

Thank you to NetGalley and Regal House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

**Arc given in exchange for a free and honest review. Thanks Netgalley!**

Who are we responsible too? What do we owe the generations coming after us? Can we ever do enough?

These are the questions Elenor is asking as she stares into the ambivalent abyss of old age. As she watches her life's work being rolled back and upended, all she can see is despair.

Throughout this collection of short stories, we see Elenor, her family and friends, and those only tangentially in her sphere as they navigate the challenges brought on by a climate crisis. Told through this lens, the big and small moments that punctuate our lives are both magnified and made small. Simplified and complicated.

In Nina Schuyler’s powerful collection of interconnected stories, the Earth asks if we can hear her. A climate activist at the pinnacle of recognition despairs about how little her so-called achievements have done. A scientist struggles and questions her desire for a child. A child in a rough neighborhood looks for beauty among cast off things. Schuyler’s characters alternate between hope and despair, driving home the true complexity of our relationships with each other, our goals and ambitions, and the planet that we call home. Her stories are unflinching, rich, and ultimately hopeful. A beautiful, climate-charged read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this linked story collection and highly recommend it for fans of literary fiction. There is a strong theme here that acts as a connective tissue for the collection: the environment and the ways we have failed it. We see how different generations view the issue, particularly with respect to Eleanor and her daughter. Eleanor's frustration at seeing her laudable work reversed by capitalism is very relatable. Eleanor is the central character and serves as a charismatic anchor for the collection. The collection leaves you with mixed feelings - depression, yes, but also hope.

Thank you to NetGalley and Regal House for the advance e-galley; all opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

A touching book about different people whose fates are intertwined because of their love for nature.
I can highly recommend it to everyone who feels the same responsibility for doing something about climate change.
I related to Eleanor as she also felt hopeless and like her effort was all for nothing.
I also admired the author's prose since it was one of the things that kept me going.

I enjoyed it a lot, so it deserves its 4 ☆ stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review :)

If this book doesn't leave you feeling slightly guilty, and motivated to do more for the planet, I'm not sure we read the same book.

Eleanor and her exhaustion, and frustration to see a life of work being reversed by huge corporations is the centrepiece of this book. An incredible woman, and one suffering from the fatigue of those who have fought for years. Every story spirals out from her - her family, her friends, their friends, all considering whether what we are doing is enough to save our planet, or whether we should be pushing for more.

The spark of hope in a class full of young people, with their big ideas, and dreams and ambitions is a reflection of what we need - to empower and lift up those with the ideas, and get them together with those with the experience.

I loved how every story becomes intertwined at the end, with the bridge, and the protests. Hopefully this book sparks more people to make a change.