This is a beautiful book and such a comforting yet informative read that catalogues words from different languages all over the world.
Each chapter of the book focuses on words used to describe the natural world from water to being.
It provides us with words to describe feelings we usually struggle to explain such as the feeling of sitting snug inside as the weather rages outside.
This is a book I will refer back to often for example when walking through a forest, staring out to sea and feeling upset about the state of the world and need a word to express how I’m feeling.
I also loved the chapter introductions and the authors views about our disconnection with the natural world and each other.
This is a book I would recommend to everyone.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for sending me this E-Arc.

From the first few pages I knew I would love this book. 🫶

This is a collection of words from different languages that capture feelings, moments, and relationships with nature that English doesn’t always have the vocabulary for (although there are also some very good English words included!). Through these words, the author highlights how language shapes the way we view and experience the world, and how other countries and cultures may see things in a totally different way to us, despite us all sharing the same planet.

The book is split into sections, with each focusing on a different aspect of nature and our relationship with the world we live in. Each begins with a short introduction that puts things into perspective, making you think about the way we treat Earth and how we should take more care and appreciate the little things around us. They then go on to share an array of words from languages old and new, from all around the world, each with a phonetic pronunciation and meaning.

I looooove languages so much, and there were so many in this book that I’d never heard of before, as well as words that really inspired me and have stuck with me. I would’ve liked to see examples of how the words can be used in sentences, but the descriptions are really interesting and give a bit of background about the word and where it comes from.

The words themselves are just beautiful, and so many of them describe things we’ve probably all experienced at some point, but never had the word for... until now!

The artwork throughout the book is also SO gorgeous. From double page spreads to smaller illustrations, they all add to the message behind the book and really highlight the beauty of both language and nature. I read this as an eARC, so I can only imagine how beautiful a physical copy will be.

I read this cover to cover, but it’s also the perfect kind of book to dip in and out of. You could open it to a random page each day and discover a new word that makes you notice the beauty in nature and the world around us.

It made me think a lot about language, nature, and how we shape the world around us, and it reminded me to pay more attention to the small things that we sometimes overlook. Definitely a book I can see myself coming back to again and again.