The reviewer, Tim, writes in framing this section i love, "Following ecologist John Livingston, Reese sees humanity as an unstable, “overspecialized” species, whose reliance on acquired, accumulated knowledge can be both a blessing and a curse. In civilization’s case, humans made “a radical shift from the past” with the adoption of domestication of plants and animals:"
The birth of domestication led to a great rift in human history. On one side of this rift was Fairyland, where all of the wild ones lived together in a relatively balanced and elegant manner. On the other side was slave country – civilization – where domesticated plants and animals were controlled and exploited by humans who fancied themselves to be masters and owners.
“The legends of the fairies,” Reese says with a tone of awe, “remind us of our old ancestral heritage, when people were wild, free, and happy. … But the newcomers – the farmers, loggers, and miners – drove the Good People away…. We could imagine that the Earth Crisis is the fairies’ revenge. They have summoned all of their magic, and have cast a spell that laid a powerful curse on us. A thousand disasters are circling over our heads. Our silly clever tricks no longer work. We’ll pay a dear price for the injuries we’ve caused Fairyland. It is right and fair that justice will be done. Hopefully we’ll learn and remember and heal. I think we will. A sustainable future with humans in it is not impossible.”
“At core, we long for freedom,” Reese continues, “a life without clocks or jobs, cars or cities, master or slaves – a life of love, hope, and celebration. And the rivers dream of freedom, the day when the last dam falls apart. And the forests dream of freedom, the day when the cutting stops. Everything everywhere wants to be free, and freedom day is coming. The cruel old master is sick and feeble, and his days are growing short. In the other world, the spirits of our wild ancestors are filled with joy. The Earth shall be free once more, and forever.”
The ancestors talk to me in my dreams. It saddens them to see how we suffer in the modern world. Their message is simply this: Come home! We miss you! Let the land heal!
