The Wild Remedy

The Wild Remedy is an exploration of depression, the struggles that come along with those experiences, and the beneficial qualities of being in and around nature. Emma Mitchell (She/Her) explores her relationship with her well-being and how this is impacted by the seasons and the changes that occur as the seasons change. In part, the book reads like a reflective journal over a year.

This book is beautiful, both in its writing style and its illustrations, and does an amazing job of pulling you into Emma Mitchell’s world. I firmly believe in the benefits and healing qualities of being in and around nature so that aspect of the book was not difficult for me to get my head around, but for some, it might be. If you are reading this book in audiobook form, I recommend getting a physical copy for the illustrations, as they feel like a key part of the experience. There is rarely a page that doesn't have a bird, bug, or plant drawn on it, and this makes the book both beautiful and engaging to read, this I feel is part of the great experiences of the book.

My struggle with the book was understanding exactly what it was supposed to be, is it a book about mental health, or is it a book about nature? I picked it up because it felt like a book about both, but in reality, it was a personal experience of both. I referred to it as a “reflective journal” earlier, as that's what it feels like. Whilst I was hoping that it would be more instructional, or informational, I still enjoyed reading about Emma Mitchell’s experience and how nature impacted her health. Emma Mitchell does touch upon theory and information surrounding nature and health throughout the book, so it does have some of the instructional or informational qualities that I was looking for but falls short of the quantity that I was hoping for. Yet I feel that is on me for not understanding the content of the book, I mention it here, so others can be more informed than I was.

If you are looking for a visually striking book packed with nature and well-being, then this is worth picking up. The same goes for if you enjoy learning through the experience of others. Yet if you are seeking an informative or instructional book about nature and the healing benefits of nature, then this book is not it, but it does act as an excellent springboard into that realm.