I really enjoyed this on and definitely learned a lot! In Custodians of Wonder, Stein tells the stories of 10 people around the world who have jobs that are the last of their kind. From the last Inca bridge master who weaves a new grass bridge every year, to the last Cuban cigar factor "reader", to one of the last women who knows how to make the rarest pasta in Italy, to the postmaster of the Bridegroom's Oak tree in Germany, these stories are so fascinating! Stein not only interviews these keepers of disappearing traditions but he also gives us a short history lesson revealing how these jobs came to be and what they mean to the current culture.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free eARC!

"Custodians of Wonder" is a captivating and enlightening travelogue that takes readers on a journey to discover the rich cultural traditions and the remarkable individuals who keep them alive. Author Eliot Stein, a BBC Travel journalist, weaves together an engaging narrative that explores ten unique cultural practices from around the globe, offering a rare glimpse into the vibrant tapestry of human experience.

From the intricate art of Persian calligraphy to the ancient craft of Andean textiles, Stein's vivid prose brings to life the passion and dedication of the custodians who safeguard these vanishing traditions. Through his immersive and heartfelt storytelling, he highlights the importance of preserving cultural heritage and the invaluable wisdom it holds for future generations.

"Custodians of Wonder" is an eye-opening and inspiring read that encourages readers to appreciate the diversity of human cultures and the enduring power of tradition. Stein's masterful blend of travel writing, history, and personal reflection makes this book a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the beauty and richness of our shared global heritage.

For each chapter, there are 3 sides provided: the story being told, the history behind that story, and the author's experience following that story. A very interesting, but very dense read, it was a slog to get through each chapter because when each chapter had a natural stopping point, the author just continued on. Although, I do appreciate understanding the history behind the tradition, I would have liked this book even more if the author, or even their editor, insisted on cutting down on bits and parts. I wish I could explicitly call out which bits and bobs, but it was such a long read that I can't even recall anymore. Otherwise, I found it entertaining and informative.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book that looks at the arts, engineering and traditions of many different cultures and the few that try to keep them alive, fighting against indifference, cost saving ideas, and a lack of understanding.

In the house I grew up in, where my Mom still lives there is a shelf in the garage that is loaded with stuff my brother and I made when we were kids. There is a box, with a lock and lid that I made in cub scouts, along with a key holder that hangs on the wall. My mom still has the hook rugs my brother and I made, when we first moved to Connecticut. There is a clock made with Star Wars figurines my father made, I don't remember why. I made some of these things, was gifted some of these things, but I don't remember making them, nor when I got them. A query to my brother was returned with "???". These are simple crafts, things I could look up on youtube to find out how to do, or go to my local library as they seem to know everything. Who though could teach me how to make a Incan suspension bridge, so strong horses could walk across its span. Or a mirror so perfect that it reflects not only the appearance, but maybe the soul. Even a pasta so special, it makes up the important part of a religious ceremony, but is only made by four people on Earth. When these people are gone, these might, and most probably will be lost. And we as a civilization will be lacking something we didn't even know was important. Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive by traveller, journalist and chronicler Eliot Stein is a collection of essays about the last people to carry on traditions, and who enrich us all, even without knowing who are what they do.

Eliot Stein was struck by a realisation. There are many books on who is the first at something, but not many on the people who are the last. The last people to know things that were once vital to survival, or to the survival of others. The last who helped to enrich the mind, and fill the bellies. Stein decided to the hit the road, to travel to places where the last people are trying to keep their culture alive. From occupations like the last true watchman for a city in Sweden, a job so important it earned the enmity of a serial arsonist. A rope spinner who makes bridges that span huge crevasses, bridges as strong as some built by steel. A painter who paints entire billboards by himself, to create interest in films in Taiwan. Cookers of pasta so perfect, yet so complicated that a famous chef threw his hands in the air at a total loss to recreate. Mirror makers, and in Havana people who read novels, the news, and their own stories to rollers of the best known cigars.

This book was so much more than I expected. Funny, interesting, beautiful and in many places heartbreaking. The painter in Taiwan going blind from his lead paint, with a long standing crush on the woman who cuts his thinning hair. Fathers who wish their children could continue the traditions they are a part of, but knowing that might not be possible. Women talking charge and getting things done, be it in pasta or making mirrors. Soy makers who see that their lives are lacking, and want to give something back in both traditions and good taste. Stein is a very good writer, so good at explaining what makes this art, this job so important. What a people lose by not having it, and what we lose by letting the idea of saving money, throw something into the dustbin of history. Stein has empathy, lets the people talk, share, explain and in some places complain, but every word is important. I have my favorites in the collection, but there is something here for everyone. Or there should be.

A book for creative people. A book that makes one want to Crowdsource everything. What are we losing as a people when knowledge dies. We get the society we have now. A really great book for a lot of reasons. One of them being the writing. This is the first I have read of Eliot Stein, I can't wait to read more.

Custodians of Wonder by Eliot Stein is a fascinating book about ten remarkable people who are preserving unique and rare traditions all over the world, especially in area where heritage and culture are embedded into souls and hearts. The author had the privilege of traveling to meet with these people to learn more about their craftsmanship, labours of love, devotion, and their custodial jobs. Talk about a beguiling mission! Imagine being one of the very last to carry these secrets, hoping against hope someone will continue with them.

Amongst the stories which appealed to me most were food-related, especially that of the world's most difficult pasta which is created in Sardinia, aptly called "the threads of God". It is comprised of 256 gossamer threads formed by the magical touch of one woman's hands which took years to perfect in this culinary capital. Fermenting soy sauce goes back thousands of years in Japan but is rarely made in kioke structures these days.

Each story reveals treasures including the Mali balafon instrument played once a year, passed down from generation to generation in one family. The last watchman in Scandanavia has quite the job...including saving lives and property. "Telling the bees" is sweet and charming. My heart was hooked by "The Bridegroom's Oak", responsible for love matches with fairytale Germany setting and the only tree in the world with its own mailing address. I would love the job of delivering mail there!

I live part time in a European country with many tangible and intangible UNESCO world heritage sites and am struck by their valued tradition. We notice when they disappear and I am pleased with preservation efforts.

If you enjoy learning more about our world, especially lesser-known history, this is for you.

My sincere thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this enchanting book.

This is a dense book, but it is packed with information. The overwhelming humanity of this book is what sells it through - the legacy, the personal moments, the connection. My interest level varied greatly with the topic that each person what the last keeper of, but the variety should ensure that there is at least one that will capture the reader's attention/interest.

Chapter 1: The Living Libraries of West Africa
Chapter 2: Scandinavia's Last Night Watchman
Chapter 3: The Last Inca Bridge Master
Chapter 4: The World's Rarest Pasta
Chapter 5: The Mirror That Reveals Your Truest Self
Chapter 6: Asia's Last Film Poster Painter
Chapter 7: Where Bees Are a Part of the Family
Chapter 8: The Only Democratic Job in Cuba
Chapter 9: The Man Trying to Save Japanese Food
Chapter 10: The Most Romantic Job in Europe

I think this might have been better in a different medium - audio or full documentary - but for the very least the documentation of these last of the last is worth recording and witnessing.

Tradition and legacy are at the root of Custodians of Wonder. Each chapter recounts a cultural tradition, some of which have been in existence for centuries, that are slowly going extinct as modern technology replaces the need. I loved learning the stories/histories behind each tradition. As someone who has spent a lot of time in Latin America, the Inca bridge made of reeds that are as strong as steel, really resonated with me. For many centuries prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, the Inca built and maintained many of these bridges that spanned the deep valleys of the Andes. Unfortunately, there is only person who is the "engineer" with this knowledge to preserve the knowledge.

This book not only took me to various, remote places in the world but helped me better understand the importance of maintaining one's culture.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Ten stories about different customs and traditions from around the world. Many are of a dying piece of cultural history because there isn't anyone of the next generation to carry on the work, or, in the case of a couple, it's trending out of style. Some stories are more interesting than others, but it all depends on what the reader finds the most interesting. Some of the stories seem to go on and on with boring facts, but the facts do create a framework for the overall structure of each story. In general, a fascinating read.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed taking my time with this one. I’d recommend it to anyone, particularly those who are expanding upon their art and cultural studies, those who are completing their “around the world” reading book lists, places you desire to visit, and students, especially for those looking for topics of interest in various subject matter for a book report.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advance readers copy via access to the galley for free through the NetGalley program.

The Story
Fine arts lost to industrialization. And those who are custodians of ones kept and the legacy story to tell.

Preservation of 10, which I will list for those curious about additional interest:

Chapter 1: The Living Libraries of West Africa
Chapter 2: Scandinavia's Last Night Watchman
Chapter 3: The Last Inca Bridge Master
Chapter 4: The World's Rarest Pasta
Chapter 5: The Mirror That Reveals Your Truest Self
Chapter 6: Asia's Last Film Poster Painter
Chapter 7: Where Bees Are a Part of the Family
Chapter 8: The Only Democratic Job in Cuba
Chapter 9: The Man Trying to Save Japanese Food
Chapter 10: The Most Romantic Job in Europe

Each chapter goes into great depth about the guardians and stewardship. Tells historical context, the art form itself, perspective, and importance for the communities. Offers both local and observed experiences and perspective.

The local traditions of past times and how they may and may not be carried out today.

It's dense, so I definitely took my time and cherished each story telling of artistic quality and culture in this one.

The Writing
Loved the opening of chapter quotes.

Inclusion of etymology of words and various translations.

Great use of statistics.

I spent a lot of time also reading through some of the source material.

I was fascinated and I will look forward to more from this author.

Blog post: https://ericarobbin.com/custodians-of-wonder-ancient-customs-profound-traditions-and-the-last-people-keeping-them-alive-by-eliot-stein/

BBC travel journalist Eliot Stein spent seven years traveling around the world to investigate the people and processes, the history and the lore surrounding ten “on the brink of being lost” skills. The resulting book CUSTODIANS OF WONDER: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive is a fascinating glimpse into how much we don’t know about our fellow human beings. What made them tick over the centuries and what motivates them to preserve their past, despite the odds.

As the author points out in the Introduction, it’s never clear when something is done for the last time or when the last person with intricate, time-honored skills, often closely guarded secrets, will pass away. Just as local languages are constantly being degraded and lost, once a tradition is gone, it’s nearly impossible to retrieve it from the collective memory. Each example was a reminder of how vulnerable our culture and practices are to time and inexorable change.

My favorite chapter was set in Kerala, southern India where for centuries, a family passed down the secret of mixing liquid metals to produce a metal-alloy mirror that revealed to the viewer his or her true self. The author searched to find the teacher of the teachers and current practitioners, only to discover him and his wife living in poverty and obscurity. Despite losing almost everything in the devastating floods of 2018, he was at peace because he had “done my best to pass the tradition on, as my grandfather wanted.” This kind of reverence for family and tradition permeated every account. Fortunately, because of the attention brought to his work by the author, this teacher-artist is now being recognized and more justly rewarded.

Each chapter seems almost a book unto itself. That is both a plus and a minus. With the detailed background to the practices and practitioners Stein profiles, each chapter could easily be the basis for a filmed documentary. But sometimes that much detail made for difficult reading. I still felt it deserved five stars as a fully developed project which provides information and perspective that are not available elsewhere and for the respect and sensitivity Stein had for his project.

With thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a wonder in and of itself. Rarely does a nonfiction tome read this seamlessly. I loved each of these stories, and have spent more time after reading to go look up more information about them. This was a lovely treat!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

This is a unique, in-depth overview of some of the rarest practices/professions in the world. The enduring passion and dedication allocated to preserving these practices were abundant throughout each chapter. If any of these practices were to be forgotten or discontinued, the cultural loss would be apparent. The reasons for certain practices dying out were thought-provoking and sobering, especially considering the global shift to favoring mass production and industrialization over small, artisanal products. Plenty of background and context are provided. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to vicariously travel and experience these eye-opening, singular practices.

I’d give this book 4/5 stars. It was enjoyable and fast to read.

Each chapter focused on one person and their story of keeping their cultural rites alive. I like that it explored not only the person’s history but also the history of the region where they live and how that influenced the ritual. I learned a lot about the history of various regions while reading this book. It was done in a cohesive way to add to the story and not take away from it. Some chapters were more interesting than others, but overall I enjoyed it.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for proving an ARC for me to review.

I rarely read nonfiction, but the premise of this book sounded interesting. I enjoyed learning about the obscure roles and traditions of the 10 people highlighted in this book. The author took great care with each of their stories. In some cases there was an excess of information that I felt did not add to the story, but that seems to be his style and in the end were interesting facts on their own.

What amazed me most was that most of these stories sound archaic, but the lives I was read about were in current times. Do all of these roles and traditions need to continue? Not all, but I appreciated the author introducing me to these remarkable people. My favorite was the final story about the oak tree. Yes, it was about the post man, but really it was about the oak tree.

Edit: I have updated my stars from 3 to 4. Probably 4.5 because I cannot stop thinking about some of these stories! I went back to see if some of the people are still living. I also have researched and purchased shoyu soy sauce made in original wooden vats. And as someone who loves to travel, I have looked up some of these places to consider if I would visit there. I have also edited my original text because re-reading it, I made it sound like I didn't like the book. I did like it, but now I realize I liked it a lot.

Stein does an excellent job of balancing between the custodian and the wonder! I enjoyed that there was in depth exploration of how these dying traditions were born - but I, even more, loved how careful Stein was to include the human aspect of these traditions. The prose was a little dry for my taste but I did have fun learning new things!

As a traveler, I leaned into this collection of stories of people from far away places.

From the author's introduction:
'In an age when everything has seemingly been explored and explained, and where cynicism so often overshadows curiosity and wonder, these cultural custodians remind us how much there still is to discover and invite us to fall back in love with the world.'

In the pages of Custodians of Wonder, not only do we get an inside view into the fading cultural traditions and their people, but the author also provides us a researched history of the tradition around the globe. It was repeatedly heartwarming to me how many of these multigenerational activities, thou boarding on being obsolete, are being preserved for those who will follow.

This book is written in a conversational manner that is easy to follow. The people and places are brought to life. The traditions, heart and strength of the people remains memorable. Thou interesting, I found the chapters lengthy and skipped ahead more often than not. I can whole heartedly recommend this book to those who are travelers at heart and to those who have great curiosity about the ways of other cultures and the days of past.

This is a travelogue based on Mr. Stein's adventures in traveling to meet people who are the 'last of their kind', that is the last person with ancient knowledge and skills passed on for hundreds of years. I found the topic interesting, but the book read to much like a memoir of a traveler with long chunks of history thrown in. If you enjoy reading about peoples travels and history, this will be right up your alley. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest opinion.

These days, I often despair over the state of the world, and worry that we are failing to preserve many of the most precious things around us. It was lovely and comforting, then, to pick up this collection of stories told by author Eliot Stein as he traveled the world exploring “ancient customs, profound traditions, and the last people keep them.” His collection, Custodians of Wonder, which will be published in early December 2024, is a perfect balm for times of despair.

Part travelog, part anthropology, part biography – and all heart, these ten stories are beautifully written and full of hope. I decided to take my time reading this collection – not because it was challenging to understand or uninteresting to read, but because I wanted to savor each story individually. It was a great decision, and one I recommend (if you have the time and opportunity for a leisurely read). As with any collection, I enjoyed some stories more than others (particular favorites included of mine included the stories about the night watchman and the one about the soy sauce).

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on December 10, 2024.

4 stars.

I was initially caught by the beautifully illustrated cover and title of this book, so felt intrigued to find out a little more.

Stein takes the reader on a fascinating global tour looking at various traditions and keepers of folklore which, although they are not linked in any way, they are incredibly interesting and thought provoking.

What I particularly enjoyed was the personal stories of the individuals who are Custodians of Wonder together with researched facts to support the background to the 'tradition'.

A beautifully written book which will make a great addition to any book collection or equally a perfect gift.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to preview this book. The only thing missing were photos, which would've made the read perfect.

#netgalley #wonders #tradition #folklore #books #reading

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of “Custodians of Wonder” by Eliot Stein. I was deeply moved by the wonderful way in which the author captured and respected each of the stories he presented. Some are so fascinating and moving but also saddening because you realize that inevitably, some of these traditions will likely fade away. Thanks to this author’s amazing work, however, they will not soon be forgotten.