Solnit is a great writer, a writers' writer in the sense where a writer is not just someone who can express ideas in writing but someone for whom writing is a well-honed craft, someone who appreciates and strives for excellence in the use of language, someone not shy about constructing beautiful, complex sentences, knowing (and acknowledging openly) that this makes her writing more complex, aimed at readers willing to make the effort to follow along for the rewards of an enjoyable, smooth, unhindered flow of words, nodding and smiling when encountering a good analogy or a clever point poignantly made. In an age when such writing and such reading have become rare, this alone—the craftsmanship and style of this book—warrants a 5-star review.
The content is par for the course in Solnit's writing, which may be a very good thing for some, and exasperating for others. This, too, is the mark of good writing: it serves a purpose and incites opinions, which is why, despite being in the "exasperated" group, I nonetheless enjoyed the read and did not find my disagreement with some of its premises and conclusions reason to rate the book any lower. While it did not leave me hopeful or inspired (which I suspect was the author's hope). Instead, I found myself engaged in an ongoing imaginary Socratic dialog with the author, which I enjoyed very much.

This is Rebecca Solnit at her very best. Sharp, searing prose and crystalline insight. This is the book the world needs most in 2025. It is a beautiful reminder that we can endeavour to do more than merely survive in tumultuous times - we can use these as an opportunity to re-imagine what is possible and remember the beauty of shared humanity.

I look forward to sharing this work with my loved ones when it comes out and have recommended it as a must-read to my audience.

Sincere thank you to NetGalley and Haymarket Books for this eARC prior to publication.

Rebecca Solnit’s No Straight Road Takes You There is a thought-provoking essay collection that delves into some of the most urgent issues of our time. Solnit continues to impress with her ability to blend fact, personal reflection, and social critique into a seamless narrative. Through her distinct voice, she examines a polarized political landscape, underscoring the importance of compromise and collaboration in maintaining a functional democracy.

The essays in this collection offer much more than just analysis—they invite readers to question their perceptions and gain a deeper understanding of the world around them. Solnit's insights are both enlightening and thought-provoking, urging us to reevaluate our assumptions and consider multiple perspectives. Although the repeated focus on climate change in several essays can feel somewhat repetitive, it’s hard to overlook the magnitude of the issue, and Solnit’s passionate call to action is undeniably important.

The collection speaks to anyone with a desire to learn more about the world’s challenges, be it through the lens of human rights, environmental justice, or politics. Solnit’s writing forces readers to confront reality that we usually encounter in daily life. There’s an underlying current of hope present in all of her writing—reminding us that even in bleak moments, change is possible.

One of the most striking aspects of Solnit’s work is her ability to see the big picture, reminding readers that “change is our only constant.” She encourages us to reflect on history to better understand the future. This broader perspective is especially comforting now. Solnit’s reflections on this point offer a glimmer of hope for the year ahead.

The collection opens with an essay about a centuries-old violin, linking it to larger themes of forests, and climate. From there, it moves through various subjects, concluding with a moving piece about a prisoner longing to see the ocean. Solnit successfully bridges the political with the literary, offering not just facts, but a reimagining of what it means to be engaged with the world. Through her essays, she challenges us to reconsider the stories we’ve inherited and to reframe them in ways that promote growth, justice, and equality.

In No Straight Road Takes You There, Solnit asks us to embrace uncertainty, imperfection, and the unpredictability of our shared future. Her message is clear: while the road ahead may be unclear, it’s up to each of us to shape it.#haymarketbooks #rebeccasolnit #nostraightroadtakesyouthere

Solnit deftly reminds us that modern society has made huge progress toward a more equitable and just future despite present backtracking. Whether reflecting on climate change, feminism, civil rights, or other salient issues, she illuminates a history that reveals the possibilities—even likelihood—of a better future. It can often feel that if we're not talking about the latest headlines, what we're talking about is irrelevant. But Solnit's essays, timely as they once were, are now timeless. Or perhaps, timeful? They remind us of past successes while pointing to the many successes yet to come if only we take a long-term view.

Rebecca Solnit has a sharp mind and I enjoy reading what she has to say about the world as it is at any given moment—this collection of essays was no exception. What I took most from the pages of No Straight Road Takes You There was a reminder that when things feel especially bleak (such as now, presumably), to zoom out and remember that change does happen. Shocking change that would’ve once never seemed possible. In fact, change is our only constant. Even when it seems that nothing could ever go right again, zoom out. That’s a comforting thought to take into the new year.

Sometimes you need essays that focus on hope and the good things that happen despite our fucking nightmare political system, and this happily focuses on that, just in time for the newest incarnation of the Leopards Eating Our Face Party. Excellent end of the year read to gear me up for 2025.

[Disclosure: Special thanks to NetGalley and Haymarket Books for offering this book for early consideration]. As a former reader of Solnit's previous works, namely, the captivatingly titled /Men Explain Things to Me,/ I was pleased by this essay collection. The essays possess her trademark wit and intelligence, and they each hold up to her earlier work, earning a well-deserved spot beside her former essay collections. Throughout these essays, Solnit seamlessly weaves fact, research, and her own experience and feelings to offer insightful ideas that incite curiosity and understanding in the reader, ultimately asking them to take a close look at their world, to analyze it, and see it in a new light, without any of the frilly sugarcoating one might undergo on the daily. Solnit's subjects are very real in this collection, sometimes heartbreakingly so, but she never loses track of hope. One such subject she returns to is that of climate change and humanity's response (or lack of) toward it. This was the one part of the book which grew long-winded to me, as several essays in a row focus on this subject with little variety, but I do understand it is one of the most crucial topics in our world, a literally life-altering subject which cannot be ignored. I will say this essay collection would appeal more to left-leaning individuals, but the question of politics aside, this is an essay collection for anyone who cares about human rights, the environment, or anyone who desires to minimize their ignorance and better understand the world around them. It would be difficult to read this and come out of it not having learned something new. I know I certainly learned from this book, and thus, I give this a solid, well-earned five stars.

“If we don’t remember how things were, we cannot endeavor to restore what has been broken”

This is my first read by Rebecca Solnit but you can be sure that I’ll be picking up more from her in the future. This was a great commentary on so many current issues including the climate crisis, human rights, fighting the patriarchy, and white supremacy, to name a few. Her writing is so engaging and I found myself unable to put this down.

The climate crisis is something that has always been a top issue for me and hearing Rebecca’s opinion on it was refreshing. Her realism about the severity of the situation tied together with optimism about the potential to impact it was quite refreshing. I left this book feeling inspired to continue doing my part to further progress.

Overall, this collection of essays hit on so many current societal issues in an inspiring way. I hope everyone who reads it will take away things they can do to have an impact on the world. If we all do our part, we can make change happen.

Thank you to Haymarket Books and NetGalley for access to the eARC!

NOTES: The Kindle format of this was a bit challenging to read with the spacing and numbers throughout. I sometimes got lost in just trying to complete the sentence myself because of the formatting. But it didn’t take away, ultimately, from how profound this book was.

MY GOODREADS REVIEW

What profound essays are contained in this. I have no doubt this will be controversial to many in the times we live in, but Rebecca Solnit hits home with so many issues ranging from climate activism to women’s rights to the pandemic.

I feel like this is an important book that many will turn to when the inevitable bouts of despair hit. But what I love most is how she always turns to hope in her writing and encourages us to lean into the sources of hope in our life.

I will be thinking about things I read in here for a while.

I adore Rebecca Solnit's work & have read much of it, and follow her on socials. Thrilled to get this title - "No Straight Road Takes You There"! Great essays on today's most urgent topics - fascism, climate change, women's rights and more. Written with "Hope" (for dark times) I always both learn & feel inspired by the author. Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for my advance copy - my sincere pleasure to provide a review!

Rebecca Solnit is my favorite writer and I have read everything she has written except the books on fairytales. She writes about current societal issues and is able to weave together a succinct understanding with many different perspectives. This book discusses the splintering and polarized state of politics, and how compromise and collaboration is the key to the success of our democracy.

I’ll read anything and everything Rebecca Solnit writes. Especially this. Thanks to NetGalley and the Author for this ARC!

No Straight Road Takes You There
Rebecca Solnit
Wow what a refreshing book. This is a nice break from all my fiction reads. The essays she writes help me understand what happened between 2019-2024 and it’s a very interesting perspective. It makes me want to travel the world around me more. It makes me want to conquer challenges as they pass me in the future. I struggle with mental health and relationships a lot and given what this author writes (traveling), it has helped me navigate myself. It’s helped me process a lot of issues I’ve been dealing with. I can’t express my thanks enough to the author. The writing is clear with few errors but the errors make the writing come alive. I liked how the author described the facts of the events that happened in 2019-2024. Their take on the events + themes that have crossed through provides an interesting perspective and anyone going through therapy or has challenges in their lives should read this.