Serena Dandini (photo by Gianmarco Chieregato).
Mmy mother talked to the geraniums. It wasn’t something pathological but a relaxing activity that occupied her in the morning as soon as she woke up when, while drinking coffee, she checked the new blooms, removing the yellowed leaves from the branches. I don’t know if the plants she loved so much ever returned her kindness by responding to her but his specimens were certainly the most luxuriant in the palace.
I must confess that I inherited this habit and every now and then I find myself talking to the plants in my gardenespecially with the more refractory ones that struggle to grow or give me the buds that I so desire. I don’t use bad words like Nanni Moretti in the memorable scene of his film White but I’m sure I’m not the only one who occasionally has a chat with her plant specimens.
If you are also of the company you can’t miss Stefano Mancuso’s new novel The trees version (Einaudi), a compelling story in which we can finally hear the testimony of the trees told firsthand.
According to Mancuso’s seductive narration the plant world is tired of waiting for humans to take care of stopping climate changea planetary slope that risks transforming our earth from the earthly paradise it once was into an inhospitable place where it will be more difficult for everyone to live.
Brave trees
And so three enterprising and courageous arboreal specimens, Laurin, Lisetta and Pino decide to leave their land Edrevia to explore unknown horizons looking for solutions and answers. The story of their adventurous journey is the soul of this original and imaginative novel which offers us the opportunity to reflect on our destiny much more than many conferences at the various G20s, which are often evasive and postponed.
“The version of the trees” by Stefano Mancuso (Einaudi).
Through the stories of our green heroes we will discover new worlds and different societiesbecause nature will never cease to amaze us with its resources and infinite adaptation capabilities which we should draw inspiration from to survive adversity.
Stefano Mancuso puts his knowledge as a botanist and plant neurobiologist at the service of the imagination, giving us a poetic story that urges us to protect biodiversitythe only source of salvation for the lives of human beings who should look up from their mobile phone screens and begin to establish a dialogue with nature which has a lot to teach us. As usual, my mother understood everything.
All articles by Serena Dandini.
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