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Forager
Forager: Field Notes on Survival: a Memoir | Michelle Dowd
8 posts | 8 read | 11 to read
A moving, heartbreaking, and lyrical true story of the authors escape from an apocalyptic cultand the survival skills that led to her freedom. My family prepared me for the end of the world, but I know how to survive on what the earth yields. As a child, Michelle Dowd grew up on a mountain in the Angeles National Forest. She was born into an ultra-religious cultor the Field as they called itstarted in the 1930s by her grandfather, a mercurial, domineering, and charismatic man who convinced generations of young male followers that he would live 500 years and ascend to the heavens when doomsday came. Comfort and care are sins, Michelle is told. As a result, she was forced to learn the skills necessary to battle hunger, thirst, and cold; she learned to trust animals more than humans; and most importantly, she learned how to survive in the natural world. At the Field, a young Michelle lives a life of abuse, poverty, and isolation, as she obeys her familys rigorous religious and patriarchal ruleswhich are so extreme that Michelle is convinced her mother would sacrifice her, like Abraham and Isaac, if instructed by God. She often wears the same clothes for months at a time; she is often ill and always hungry for both love and food. She is taught not to trust Outsiders, and especially not Quitters, nor her own body and its warnings. But as Michelle gets older, she realizes she has the strength to break free. Focus on what will sustain, not satiate you, she tells herself. Use everything. Waste nothing. Get to know the intricacies of the land, like the intricacies of your body. And so she does. Using stories of individual edible plants and their uses to anchor each chapter, Forager is both a searing coming-of-age story and a meditation on the ways in which understanding nature can lead to freedom, even joy.
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Suet624
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Pickpick

This book blew my mind. Dowd‘s grandfather started his own apocalyptic community years ago. He told followers he would live 500 years. Fire & brimstone/Old Testament was his personal mantra. Dowd‘s father & mother were merciless to their kids. Dowd was basically abandoned and/or punished up thru her teens. How she ended up where she is now-an accomplished writer and professor is astonishing to me. That she forgave her parents is also impressive.

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Suet624
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I keep saying “WHAT?“ as I read this book. Dowd‘s mother is constantly reinforcing the cult‘s theory that men are omnipotent and the author‘s grandfather is the ultimate authority. Women are to be silent and subservient unless they‘re working the crowd that has come to their fundraising events. So many quotable and shocking sentences in this book.

LeahBergen I always find these sort of religious cults utterly fascinating. 😳 6mo
Suet624 @LeahBergen it absolutely blows my mind how many people are in groups like this. 6mo
marleed This stuff scares me more than any Halloween movie ever could! 6mo
Suet624 @marleed I‘m with you. 6mo
41 likes4 comments
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tpixie
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A memoir of a daughter in a cult, how she suffers, and what she learns. This cult is what you expect from cults. I do love the info about nature and edible plants. Happy Thanksgiving 🍁🦃 Happy Thursday!

Ruthiella Happy Thanksgiving to you ! 🥧 12mo
tpixie @Ruthiella thanks! 🦃🌻🦃 12mo
Bookzombie Happy Thanksgiving! 🍁 12mo
tpixie @Bookzombie thanks! It‘s been great! I hope you had a great day also! 12mo
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quirkyreader
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This is one of those Oh My stories. Here is the link to my gr review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5860539516

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Chelsea.Poole
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This was….fine/good-ish. I love a memoir and don‘t ever feel right judging someone‘s personal experiences, but I do feel this could have gone a bit deeper for more of an impact. Dowd recounts stories growing up in a super religious community (insular, on a mountain!), focusing heavily on her mother who was a naturalist though neglectful. Chapters begin with information on plants they foraged, which was an interesting touch.

Megabooks I bailed on this. I found the audio narration really weird. 1y
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Erynecki
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Pickpick

When Michelle Dowd was 7, her family moved to a campsite of sorts in Angeles National Forest. Leased by her grandfather, who claimed to be a Christian prophet who would live to be 500 (surprise? He doesn‘t) the apocalyptic cult had patriarchal rules and a religious doomsday mentality. It‘s vaguely reminiscent of Tara Westover‘s memoir, Educated,” but it‘s rhythm and ending feel different.

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monalyisha
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I think I‘m finally ready to commit to my #CampLitsy23 nominees!

I went with 3 memoirs and 3 novels, all tagged in the comments. Some common themes seem to be: nature, religion, siblings, queer voices.

See All 13 Comments
Megabooks Thanks for nominating! I loved Butch Hijab Blues! 2y
BarbaraBB There you are! Thanks! Great choices, one of mine too 2y
monalyisha @BarbaraBB Here I am! If Brother & Sister…gets picked, we can cry together. 😅 Have you outlined the next steps of the process somewhere? I‘m so interested in how it‘ll all work! 2y
squirrelbrain Thanks for your nominations! We‘ll be posting the (very!) long list tomorrow - Barbara will tag you. You then have chance to look at all the nominations and vote for your favourite 6 before Sunday. We‘ll announce the winners early next week along with which books we‘ll read when. (edited) 2y
Chelsea.Poole Oh I love your picks! I am going to read The Last Animal, Hijab Butch Blues, and Forager for sure! 2y
monalyisha @Chelsea.Poole I think we have very similar taste. I‘ve learned to pay attention to your reviews and specifically seek out your page because I always love your #AuldLangSpine list! 2y
Chelsea.Poole @monalyisha same ☺️ 2y
55 likes13 comments