Forager

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I’m always fascinated by stories about cults and the impact they have on their followers. When the follower is also a family member, the story is usually very different, as that person has the inside track on what goes on. Dowd’s grandfather was the cult leader in this case.

Dowd was an abused child in every way, which makes her story completely heartbreaking, but she tells it with grace. She was mostly left to her own devices growing up. She learned to eat off the land, as was her family’s choice. Each chapter includes a Field Note about a plant she encountered growing up.

Dowd was just a kid, but was frequently blamed for simply existing. She was a constant disappointment and embarrassment to her family, even though she really just did typical kid stuff. But because she was in such an extreme devout Christian cult, the expectations were very high. This story was a devastating look into her childhood but also so fascinating to learn about her survival skills.