“The best conversations are with yourself. At least there's no risk of a misunderstanding.”

Before my sugardaddy sent this book to me, the only thing I knew about Olga is that she won the Nobel Prize in 2019 amidst some drama. Decided to read this book because of the catchy title and it has a female protagonist over the age of 60, which is a prompt from the #SomethingBookishReadingChallenge (check that out)

Plot-wise, this book falls into the mystery aisle, though our protagonist, Mrs. Duszejko, doesn't give a fuck about the strange deaths of the local men(Ia queen), she is more concerned whether or not anything will be done about the crimes against animals that she’s been diligently reporting.

For that reason, I think it might be more appropriate to call this novel a character study. It’s hard to say much more without giving the best parts away, so I’ll only say that it’s a quirky, wonderful little book sure to challenge the way you think about the intricate bond between humanity and the natural environment.

Despite the narrator’s firm opinion on the modern treatment of animals, the book does not force you to take Mrs. Duszejko’s side, and leaves plenty of room for discourse. It’s a book that’s sure to stay with me in the same way that The Overstory now comes to mind every time I look at a tree.

Even though the mystery was the weakest part of the story for me, there’s a lot of little plot twists, and plenty of commentary to love. Highly recommend.