Well Read - The Wonder Issue

We asked some of our contributors to share a book that inspires them – a read that stayed with them after they turned the last page. If you’re looking for a great recommendation for what to read next, see why these were the titles they chose.

Bonjwing Lee’s pick
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
by Robert K. Massie

Although he won the Pulitzer Prize for his authoritative biography of Peter the Great, Robert K. Massie's breathtaking biography of Catherine the Great is, in my opinion, his masterpiece. Defying unimaginable odds, this minor princess from an obscure German state becomes empress to all of the Russias at a time of turmoil, and dazzles the world with her wisdom and courage. It is an epic example of fact being more wonderful than fiction.

Andy Saftel’s pick
Drifting into Darien: A Personal History and Natural History of the Altamaha River
by Janisse Ray

The author lives on her farm in South Georgia, near where she grew up and also near the Altamaha River. It is the largest river in the east without dams. Her love of place and deep appreciation for her surroundings comes out in the book, as does her fierce activism for saving land. It is an adventure story, too, of floating the Altamaha to the coastal town of Darien.

I first read her work years ago when her first memoir came out. It is called Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, about growing up on her dad's junkyard. She has written many books, all of which are wise, truth telling tales.

Peter Jon Lindberg’s pick
My Struggle
by Karl Ove Knausgaard

A work that inspires (and also intimidates!) me: Karl Ove Knaussgard’s epic memoir “My Struggle,” which swings for the fences in scope (it’s five volumes, covering his entire life thus far) but manages to feel as intimate as a late-night conversation with a delightfully open-hearted friend. Or maybe it’s just his dry Scandinavian wit that reminds me of my dad and grandfather.

Mary Celeste Beall’s pick
Preserving our Roots: My Journey to Save Seeds and Stories
by John Coykendall with Christina Melton

We love celebrating John’s hard work on and off the Farm. He’s truly a treasure and an incredible source of knowledge. I’m excited for even more people to get a glimpse into his life, stories and adventures in seed saving.