Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

Today's book recommendation: Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

In honor of the work of botanist Elsie Elizabeth Esterhuysen, today's book recommendation is Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver (Kingsolver has a background in biology).

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

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