Reader Score
86%
86% of readers
recommend this book
Critic Reviews
Good
Based on 6 reviews on
Award-winning author and critic Emily Raboteau crafts a powerfully moving meditation on race, climate, environmental justice--and what it takes to find shelter.
Lessons for Survival is a probing series of pilgrimages from the perspective of a mother struggling to raise her children to thrive without coming undone in an era of turbulent intersecting crises. With camera in hand, Raboteau goes in search of birds, fluttering in the air or painted on buildings, and city parks where her children may safely play while avoiding pollution, pandemics, and the police. She ventures abroad to learn from Indigenous peoples, and in her own family and community, she discovers the most intimate examples of resilience. Raboteau bears witness to the inner life of Black womanhood, motherhood, the brutalities and possibilities of cities, while celebrating the beauty and fragility of nature. This innovative work of reportage and autobiography stitches together multiple stories of protection, offering a profound sense of hope.A Most Anticipated Book of the Year, ELLE Magazine
Named one of The New York Times' "15 New Books to Read in March"
Named one of the Los Angeles Times' "10 Book to Add to Your Reading List in March"
Named one of Vulture's "Best Books of the Year So Far"
Named one of Science Friday's "Best Science Beach Reads For Summer 2024"
Named one of Electric Literature's "75 Books by Women of Color to Read in 2024"
Named one of Heatmap's "17 Climate Books to Read in 2024"
Named one of Lancaster Online's Summer Books