Elisabeth Tova Bailey’s beautiful novel The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is simply a delight to read. Findng herself stricken by an unidentifiable virus which leaves her bedridden for months at a time, Elisabeth’s entire world changes. During one episode of lengthy recuperation, she relocates from her beloved farmhouse to a city apartment. Confined to the living room sofa, her day is brightened by the few visits she receives from friends and a caregiver. Unable to sit, stand or walk and with limited abilities to adjust her position on the sofa, Elisabeth’s days are spent staring at the wall in front of her until one friend brings her a transplanted wild violet and a snail randomly picked up from the forest floor. Unable to read or watch TV due to the debilitating nature of the disease, which cuts her concentration in half and impairs her cognition, Elisabeth finds herself fascinated by the snail and its movements. Before long, her world is condensed to the size of that belonging to the snail as she becomes mesmerized by its activity and life. In the encompassing years between her illness and writing this book, Bailey researches snails and other mollusks, peppering her book with interesting facts about the gastropoda that never fail to impress or enlighten the reader.
This book is fascinating in so many ways. It’s a great resource for snails, yet it also tells the story of Bailey’s life at a time when her quality of life was very poor, but she infuses the book with such an upbeat personality and enthusiasm, you stop thinking about her illness and its restrictions and become immersed in the daily life of a common forest snail, much like Elizabeth did herself. A truly captivating read, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating will have you looking with renewed interest at those amazing little mollusks we share this planet with.
Till next time, happy reading!
L J
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