Existing on the fringes of our ordinary perception, mosses are a widespread yet inconspicuous element of the natural world. We only occasionally notice them in the cracks of urban asphalt, on tree trunks, or on the surfaces of stones.

The book by bryologist Robin Wall Kimmerer is not a guide to identification nor a scientific treatise. Rather, it is a series of interconnected personal essays about the life of mosses, intertwined with the lives of countless other beings, from salmon and hummingbirds to fungi, bacteria, and rural gardeners.

Kimmerer engagingly explains the biology of mosses while reflecting on what these remarkable organisms can teach us. Drawing on her diverse experiences as a scientist, mother, Native American, and professional observer accustomed to looking closely to see something important, Robin Wall Kimmerer shares various stories of mosses in scientific terms but also within the frameworks of knowledge unique to indigenous tribes.

In her book, the natural history and cultural relationships of mosses become a powerful metaphor for a way of life in the world.