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This a beautifully written, little GEM of a book. The author, Elizabeth Tova Bailey, is stricken with a strange illness that has sapped her strength, she is too weak to do anything besides lie in bed. Reading, watching TV, visiting with friends—all of these are too draining for her to do. One day a friend brings her a pot of violets with—of all things—a snail in it. The mere idea of the responsibility for this is almost overwhelming for Elizabeth, but the quiet, slow, peacefulness of the snail gradually wins her over. What started as a bizarre unwanted gift became her main focus and companion.

Elizabeth is an excellent observer of nature, and her growing interest in the snail leads her to learn all she can about them. The book switches back and forth between Elizabeth's history that lead up to her illness, her current life and snail story, and everything she learns about snails in general—which is fascinating. I am not a fan of snails, and this book made me want to have one as a pet. This is proof of good writing! Snails are hermaphrodites, for one thing. They can meet, mate, and both snails can later lay eggs. But if there's no love to be had, snails can be do without, and fertilize themselves and lay eggs. Elizabeth's snail lays several clutches of eggs which eventually hatch into the almost microscopic teensy new snails.

Before that, the pot is exchanged for a large aquarium, and the snail's territory expanded to include a small rotten log, moss, pine needles, ferns, bark with lichens, and other materials taken from the woods outside (the natural environment of the snail). Despite no voice or mammal-type facial features, the snail is able to communicate well with regards to what it likes and doesn't like. The author describes it as a “tireless and fearless explorer” as it makes its rounds inside and out of its area.

“An exquisite meditation on the restorative connection between nature and humans..."

“Beautiful.” —Edward O. Wilson

• https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Wild-Snail-Eating/dp/161620642X

• https://biomimicry.org/