Unearthed cover art

Unearthed

On Race and Roots, and How the Soil Taught Me I Belong

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Unearthed

By: Claire Ratinon
Narrated by: Claire Ratinon
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

'When we speak of our origins, that which made us, we speak of our roots. We acknowledge how our identities are intertwined with land, whether it's the one we are standing on or another we lay claim to.'

Unearthed is the story of how Claire Ratinon found belonging through falling in love with growing plants. For years, her troubled relationship with the land of her birth left her feeling unwanted, but reconnecting with nature allowed her finally to put down roots.

Like many diasporic people of colour, Claire grew up feeling cut off from the natural world. She lived in cities, reluctant to be outdoors and stuck with the belief that success and status could fill the space where belonging was absent. Through learning the practise of growing food, she unpicked her beliefs about who she ought to be. Over her first year living in the English countryside and with the first vegetable patch of her own, she finds a pathway back to nature's embrace. And through growing the food of Mauritius, recording her parents' stories and exploring the history of the island, she also strengthens her connection to her homeland.

A beautiful work of nature-writing, memoir and storytelling, Unearthed urges us to look to the world outside for the belonging and home we seek. It is a heartfelt call to reconsider our history, the way we think about nature and the complex relationships we all have with the land.

©2022 Claire Ratinon (P)2022 Penguin Audio
Environment Nature & Ecology Outdoors & Nature Science Conservation Heartfelt

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All stars
Most relevant
I adored listening to Claire tell her story. I resonated with so much and learnt so much too. Beautifully written. A pleasure to listen to.

Beautiful book

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Eloquent, honest, brilliantly narrated by the author. Personal experiences, historical account and the present day are seamlessly woven together. 'A must' read.

A must

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A deeply personal trajectory through a growing love of plants and all the identity reckoning this brings up. Raw and sweet. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Thoughtful and moving essay

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I absolutely loved this poetic and moving exploration of identity, race and growing. Hard recommend.

Profound, powerful and insightful memoir

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I loved this book but I struggled to hear Claire’s words, she talks SO fast. I wanted to think about the weight of her story but had to slow the speed of recitation. This book for me would have been better read by someone else, perhaps to make it less familiar, someone who could savour the words.

Interesting and moving

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