Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

This book came out in 2018.

Although it's a fictional book, it features the naturalist Mary Treat, who corresponds with Darwin, and a character who risks his job to teach evolution.

In real life, Treat exchanged letters with both Darwin & Asa Gray. Treat is referenced in Darwin's book Insectivorous Plants.

Mary Treat published five books and over 70 articles; four species are named after her. She studied insects, carnivorous plants, and general botany. Treat put spiders in candy jars filled with moss and plants -

"so that my nervous lady friends may admire the plants without being shocked with the knowledge that each of these jars is the home of a spider."

Treat talked to all living things; she was a fantastic woman who helped establish our understanding of carnivorous plants.

Barbara Kingsolver's Unsheltered is set in two distinct time periods and weaves together the stories of two families, each grappling with their own personal crises.

In the present day, we meet Willa Knox, a woman struggling to keep her family afloat amidst economic turmoil. As Willa and her family fight to survive, their lives intertwine with the past through the letters of Mary Treat, a pioneering botanist who corresponded with Charles Darwin.

In the 19th century, Thatcher Greenwood, a dedicated science teacher, finds himself at odds with a society that fears the truth. His passion for Darwin's groundbreaking theories leads him into a dangerous battle against the forces of ignorance and superstition.

Kingsolver's masterful storytelling draws us into the lives of these characters, revealing their vulnerabilities, strengths, and unwavering determination to find meaning in a world that often seems chaotic and unjust. 

Unsheltered will stay with you long after the final page is turned, leaving you pondering the complexities of our world and the resilience of the human spirit.

You can get a copy of Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $3.