I learned a lot reading this book but I also found it difficult to read. The author confronts her family history in Northern California and the changes on the land. Growing up the family history chose to remain silent on the their early history. The author decides to research her family and the original occupants of the land. She shows how the colonizers continue to erase the history of the natives and how ignoring the original uses of the land have caused the current environmental crisis. She also shows how when confronted with the true family history it affects the current generation's mental health and their relationship to the land. Some of history is hard to read, it made me angry and it made me sad. The author also includes lots of wonderful photographs. The history is important but it can be difficult.

This book is a beautiful compilation of personal stories and recollections that give us a glimpse into the authors psyche. I loved the central place that land took in each chapter, we get to see the authors love of place but also it gives us a moment to reflect on our only use and appreciation of both space and place that we occupy today. The land we occupy and use was not originally ours and I like how the author goes about talking about who lived here first, who’s home this is, and how we can work to make that more apparent in every day life. I really enjoyed the chapter called facing our silenced history; the way the author goes about looking at the different waves of erasure in silence is fascinating, I really appreciated the in-depth look at this and the examination of what this has done to the indigenous populations. Book should be required reading for anyone living in the United States but also anyone who is living on or occupying land that was traditionally the home of someone else. It’s easy to forget that where we feel our family has been for years in generations it is very short in comparison to indigenous populations who may have lived there before us. This book is very easy to read and beautifully written, the photos in it are stunning and add to the overall feel of the book.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. I liked the quotes at the start of each chapter. This was an in-depth book about the author’s dove into her ancestry. How history was glossed over or ignored and not talked about in her family. I like how the author gives tips on how we can help along with researching our own ancestry.

This text tells the story of colonization and the damaging effect it had on the environment, specifically in Northern California. The book aims to bring together ideas and stories about how people are trying to move away from colonial mindsets and heal both physically (environment) and mentally. The author also explores her own genealogy and the relationship between her ancestors and colonization. Through out the book the author talks about the erasure or silencing of the Indigenous people whose land was stolen. I think that this is a really great way to explain colonization and the intent behind it. Erasing what was there and stopping anyone from speaking up or protesting it. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in colonization in general as well as in this specific area. I think that people who enjoy learning about the environment or want to examine the connection between colonization and exploitation of both people and the environment will really enjoy this book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!