Exciting update! Author Maureen Dunphy will join the start of our discussion to answer some questions about the book!
The Sierra Club Wisconsin Chapter’s book club is back again for 2024 with plenty of great reads. We meet from 7 – 8 pm on the first Tuesday evening of every other month (on odd months) and we’d love for you to join us!
March 5, 2024: Divining: A Memoir in Trees by Maureen Dunphy
In sixteen essays, each named after a species of tree, Maureen Dunphy explores the nature of human-arboreal relationships, and how each of these trees has—literally—served as a friend, a confidante, or a place to rest. The depth and diversity of these relationships are revealed through essays that are both intimate and universal, moving and informative. While Dunphy’s relationships with trees are unique and personal, her work reveals the deep-rooted complexity that connects all of humanity to our staunch, upright companions in life, the members of the “Standing Nation.” Beyond providing oxygen, food, and shelter, trees can be sites of emotional refuge, sources of intellectual enrichment, and a boon to physical, mental, and spiritual health. Within reflections of her personal experience, she skillfully integrates scientific facts to achieve a balance of passion and practicality. While technology, screens, and the stress of the modern world directs our attention elsewhere, Dunphy brings the reader back to the trees right outside our windows.