Reviews

When Barbara Kingsolver and her family move from suburban Arizona to rural Appalachia, they take on a new challenge: to spend a year on a locally-produced diet, paying close attention to the provenance of all they consume. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle follows the family through the first year of their experiment. They find themselves eager to move away from the all too familiar scenario of most families: a refrigerator packed with processed, factory farmed foods transported long distances using nonrenewable fuels. Believing that most of us have better options available, Kingsolver and her family set out to prove for themselves that a local diet is not just better for the economy and environment, but also better on the table. Their search leads them through a season of planting, pulling weeds, expanding their kitchen skills and harvesting their own animals. Inspired by the flavours and culinary arts of a local culture, they explore farmers' markets and diversified organic farms at home and across the country, discovering a booming movement with devotees from all over America. Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, and complete with original recipes, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle makes a passionate case for putting the kitchen back at the centre of family life, and diversified farms at the centre of our diet.