Amoving,heartbreaking,andinspiringtruestoryoftheauthor’sescapefromanapocalypticcult--andthedeepunderstandingofthenaturalworldthathelpedherfindfreedom.Myfamilypreparedmefortheendoftheworld,butIknowhowtosurviveonwhattheearthyields.MichelleDowdgrewuponamountainintheAngelesNationalForest,bornintoanultra-religiouscult--theField,asmemberscalledit--runbyhergrandfather,whobelievedthathischosenfollowersmustpreparethemselvestosurvivedoomsday.Boundbythegroup’spatriarchalrulesandliteralinterpretationoftheBible,Michelleandhersiblingslivedalifeofdeprivation,isolatedfromOutsidersandstarvedforbothloveandfood.Shewasforcedtolearntheskillsnecessarytobattlehunger,thirst,andcold;shelearnedtotrustanimalsmorethanhumans;andmostimportant,shelearnedhowtosurvivebyforagingforwhatsheneeded.AndasMichellegotolder,sherealizedshehadthestrengthtobreakfree.Focusonwhatwillsustain,notsatiateyou,shewouldtellherself.Useeverything.Wastenothing.Gettoknowtheintricaciesofthelandliketheintricaciesofyourbody.Andsoshedid.Withhauntingandstarklanguage,andillustrationsofedibleplantsandtheirusesopeningeachchapter,Foragerisafierceandempoweringcoming-of-agestoryandatimelymeditationonthewaysinwhichharnessingnature’sgiftscanleadtoourfreedom.
