“There are some books that you read, knowing that they will stay with you for a long time. Victoria Bennett’s memoir is one of those books ... A book that allows its structure to be formed around the breaking of a seed and uses traditional herbal medicine and folklore to signpost the sacred pilgrimage through the grief of many losses, to setting forth a mandate for the future earth, this is a piece that is astute and cleverly crafted. From the drawing of a tight, closed kernel on its opening pages, to the sharp outline of a cotyledon that reaches upward to the light that appears as the book closes, Bennett puts not one Wellington-booted foot out of place in the elegance and belief of this writing ... All My Wild Mothers is one of those books. I can’t promise that this will always be a relaxing read, but All My Wild Mothers is one of the most achingly precious books that I have encountered in recent times, and I can thoroughly recommend it” 

“I am quite spellbound by it. Poetic, compelling, heartbreaking yet hopeful, it’s beautifully written and I am quite in awe of Bennett’s strength and resilience, creating something beautiful out of life’s inevitable grief and harshness”

“I loved this book, a kind of hybrid memoir that combined a passion for herbal folklore and a creative project, the building of an apothecary garden in a location where there were many obstacles to overcome, environmental and human, while exploring and healing from the loss of a loved one”

“Reading Victoria Bennett's lovely, lyrical memoir of care, motherhood, and gardening, hit me way harder than I was expecting ... Bennett writes with such grace and open-heartedness, particularly about her love for her son and their fierce determination to create a garden of vegetables, wildflowers, and trees, to make something beautiful out of waste ground. This resonates really strongly with Josie George's A Still Life, and would be great to see on the Barbellion Prize list”

“The memoir’s format – which arose in part because it was written over the course of 10 years, during stolen moments – realistically presents bereavement and caring as ongoing, cyclical challenges rather than one-time events. There are no simple solutions offered here, nothing so pat as that ‘gardening heals all hurts’, but Bennett writes into the broken places and finds joy in what comes to life spontaneously in nature or in her ramshackle yard on a social housing estate in Cumbria ... Sitting somewhere between creative nonfiction and nature essays, it’s a beautiful read for any fan of women’s life writing, especially if you share the interests in grief or gardening. I hope we’ll see it recognized on the Barbellion and Wainwright Prize shortlists alike”

“I've been struggling to find the words to review this one, they're all incoherent gibberish. I loved this book. It was full of hope, love, grief, and healing. This will have a special place in my heart forever. I was completely captivated by it and finished it with a sense of hope in my heart, sometimes even in the darkest moments of our lives we still find hope blossoming”

“A memoir beautifully told of grief, endurance, violation, humiliation, and most importably hope. It is about the joy and comfort to be found in the natural world, amongst the wild flowers ... Free-flowing, lyrical and with an insight into the author's close-knit, supportive but sometimes alternative family life - I am absolutely loving this read. I feel such a deep connection to this beautiful book, so meaningful and well written it has got to be my first 5 star read of the year”

“I was bereft at returning this book to the library yesterday. You know when you are reading something exceptional when you are hesitant to read the final pages. Wanting to savour the book and slow the reading down to extend the experience. This is a memoir filled with emotion. From grief and sadness to utter joy, it is equally heartbreaking and heart warming ... Read it and be swept away by the depth of the writing”

“This is such a beautiful, raw and real book, something I will cherish and revisit to remind me of what's important in this short life. I absolutely loved how the plants and nature entwine in the love and loss of the author's journey. A must-read for mothers and nature lovers. Thank you for this wonderful book”

“This stark and intimate memoir begins with Victoria relaying the death of her sister, the grief that came with it, and how it shaped her life. This book relates some of Victoria’s most heart-breaking life experiences. She is very honest in her descriptions of how her family was affected by debt, when her son was diagnosed with diabetes and she became his carer. The love for her son shone on each page. When they moved to a house on an estate, Victoria and her son started a new venture: their own garden. As money was tight, it needed to be cheap and wild. I absolutely loved this book. I liked how it was structured and how each chapter began with a description of a plant, its uses, and where they grow. Alkanet to lift melancholy, lemon balm to ward off evil, cow parsley to calm emotions and bring courage. I found this book poignant, beautifully written, lyrical in places. It will stay with me for a long time. I definitely recommend it.”

“Raw, sad and, so far, as chilling as the sea but it has hope. And it's making me want to heal any ailments with my garden”

“Wow. This is a book like a fine wine, to be sipped thoughtfully to appreciate its layers of flavour. I highly recommend it.”

Sublime. Heartbreaking. Tender, Uplifting and Hopeful

'I adored this book. It blew my mind that out of something so sad, something so hopeful was born. There is a real sense of the need for patience and time in this writing, and a willingness to find beauty and healing in the tiniest seemingly most unpromising places. It’s gorgeous, generous writing with real heart, a strong sense of place and joy'

A beautiful, moving, hopeful book

'The structure of Bennett's memoir of mothering, loss, and healing is deceptively simple: each short chapter begins with an illustrated entry for a traditional herbal apothecary, listing the medicinal and spiritual uses of a single wildflower or "weed". Yet the text quickly develops a richness and resonance that its simple structure belies ... This is a wise and loving book that cries out at injustice and re-values the quiet and gentle and unregarded things ... It carries its spirituality and traditional wisdom lightly. I found great joy in being offered an intimate window into undramatic, imperfect but resiliently loving lives'

Spellbound - a deeply moving meditation

'This is a wonderful book - lyrical, tender and deeply moving. I was absolutely spellbound by it. Poetic, compelling, heartbreaking yet hopeful, it’s beautifully written ... a deeply moving meditation. I cannot recommend this book more highly to everyone but particularly to gardeners, mothers, poets, nature lovers and to those seeking a gentler yet wilder path'

A book that sparks your soul!

'I don't think I will ever find enough words to express how profoundly beautiful this book is. It is so loving, gentle and full of wise words of wisdom ... I feel that in years to come I will come back to this book'

Just gorgeous

'All My Wild Mothers' is almost unbearably beautiful, and I didn't want it to finish ... Two things make the book truly superb: firstly, its unflinching honesty, and secondly, its prose. The prose is never saccharine, though it could easily have been in another writer's hands. I ached for Bennett and her family, I smiled with her in happy moments. I simply didn't want to step out of her shoes'

The book we really need now

'This is the most powerful book I've read for a long time, and I read a lot. Like all really good books, it's almost impossible to list all the interwoven things that it's "about". In a nut shell, it's about working at being a truly caring human being in a time when that becomes harder and harder to achieve. As such it has clear-sighted things to say about many important aspects of day-to-day life in contemporary Britain as it staggers into the social and environmental crisis that those in power seem unable or unwilling to address. But its observations are heart-felt, honest about life's paradoxes, and it's never preachy. Ultimately a quietly positive book, and so one we so badly need right now'

I adored this

'In my top five reads of the year; such a stunning in-depth and personal book that is part memoir, part an introduction guide to seeds, wild plants and their uses in traditional healing. I felt such a deep connection to the author, her young son and their wild garden that they nurtured from seed and soil during turbulent times of grief and uncertainty ... Showing us how compassion, freedom and acceptance can be found by rediscovering our roots within nature and connecting with our wild mothers. I adored every seed and every chapter down in this graciously honest and beautiful book'

Completely captivated

'I loved this book. It was full of hope, love, grief, and healing. This will have a special place in my heart forever. I was completely captivated by it and finished it with a sense of hope in my heart, sometimes even in the darkest moments of our lives we still find hope blossoming'

A breathtaking beautiful memoir

'A breathtakingly beautiful memoir, the best I've ever read. This is a book to take your time with, read again and again to savour every precious sentence, delight in the dexterity of the text and the moving accounts of overcoming grief and loss, marvel at the delicious insights, and emerge wiser to life itself'

Gardening in Harmony with Nature

'A powerful memoir straight from the heart, an account of a young mother’s resilience and survival through sad and difficult times. Seed by seed, root by root, she slowly transforms a barren wasteland into an apothecary garden - a place of healing for both humans and nature. A beacon of hope and a must read for our times, when far more of us need to start gardening in harmony with the natural world'

A book that I have always wanted to read

'...but did not know why I did. I cannot describe the pleasure of discovering this author. She writes with sensitivity describing the story of her life combined with her passion for nature and the love for her son, family and friends. The book is illustrated with wild flowers and herbs. This is a book to cherish. I do hope that someone from the B.B.C. will read this book and have it read on the radio. It would be perfect'

Beautiful and full of hope

'This is a beautifully written mixture of memoir, folklore and apothecary wisdom. Each short chapter begins with a beautiful illustration and description of a wild plant, each related to the unwinding of an honest memoir. Like all remembered things it winds through time, telling the story of grief, motherhood and hope in a non linear way. Wonderful descriptions of nature and the building of a magical garden'

Beautifully written

'This book is such a beautifully written read. You get totally drawn into the text. Victoria paints such a vivid picture for the reader, it's very difficult to put the book down! I haven't read anything so good for a long time'

Magical & Life Affirming

'Beautifully written with a real appreciation of the nature that is all around us. It reminds us about the really important things in life like kindness, patience, understanding & nurturing ... I devoured this book in 5 hours on the day it was delivered & have instantly recommended it to all my friends. I am sure that everyone who reads it will find parallels in their own life. A truly beautiful book!'

Tender, Captivating. Left me hanging on every word

'Loved it. Just loved this book. So tender and gentle, hinting at deeper tragedy and giving just enough info to make me want to know more but know that it's best to move on. I felt for the author so many times, being able to imagine what you were going through as a mum. Utterly captivated by the garden. This book is wonderful. I want everyone to read it so I can talk to them about it! Will be recommending it to my book club.'

An evocative and beautifully written book

'Skilfully and sublimely written; like waves rhythmically crashing onto the beach - Victoria's memoir takes you through the entire range of emotions possible, but always leaving a strong taste of hope for you to digest. Each memory begins with a plant from Victoria and her son's apothecary garden described in wonderful detail and accompanied by a gorgeous, hand drawn, linocut image. I can definitely recommend this memoir, especially if you're looking for something special to read.'

A moving account of loss and laughter

'This will be a book that I will definitely re-read. It is beautifully written, full of love and tenderness, but also without sentimentality. I often found there were tears in my eyes, as there was so much in Victoria's life that would fell the strongest of us, but she doesn't mask the difficulties she encountered. The love of nature shines through from both her and her son, I am in awe of his open hearted approach to all living things ... Even when my eyes were tired from reading, the next plant would draw me in; the little illustrations just perfect.'

Transformative power of grief

'Everything about this book is beautiful, the words and ways the author finds to articulate so many of our abstract and at times challenging emotions from grief, loss, love and joy which speak from one heart to another; the sensitive illustrations punctuating each section; the carefully considered structure which I especially enjoyed as each segment opens with the old knowledge and folk beliefs associated with particular plants with themes that resonate within each section adding even more depth and layers to the stories unfolding within. This is a love story to life, sisterhood, motherhood and self.

A rejuvenating read.'

A beautifully written memoir

'A beautifully written memoir about the grief suffered from the loss of a sister, but also about the author’s attempts to create a garden with her young son. It is a very raw, emotional book and so honest. The author has a wonderful way of expressing her internal thoughts and feelings and I really felt like I was there with her. It is a book full of both heartache and uplifting moments and I never felt like it pulled me down because it is such a hopeful book.'

Full of honest truths 

'I loved reading this book. Full of honest truths about being a parent, daughter, sibling and of day to day life. It reminded me of all those moments we think are insignificant but actually stay with us as memories. A reminder of how special every day is.'

Beautiful writing

'This is a beautiful book. The writing is beautiful , entwining the writers story with the planting of her garden.

I loved the tone of the writing and combined with the descriptions of the plants, it created such a magical and at times heart rendering read. A book you will want to share.'

A really special book

'Read over a few days, devoured really, the right book at the right time. A really different and rich approach to writing about motherhood, I loved the wild flowers lens and weaving of plant knowledge with exploration of personal relationships, deeply touching and emotive.'

Incredible memoir

Perfect from start to finish. Loved the plants opening each section, learning about their medicinal and traditional uses. Thoughtful, sad, hopeful, interesting. I actually cried with happiness at the chapter on the County Fair/Show.

Best memoir I’ve read.

Rediscovering wonder in the small things

'Lovely book, gorgeous little plant drawings. It has made me super aware of the richness around me as I perambulate around the neighbourhood or take myself on longer walks. It’s a book about growing hope out of loss, about resilience and keeping going, one step at a time. It’s sad and funny and heartfelt and inspirational. It’s about rediscovering wonder in the small things we see and do. It’s about love and belonging, creating something out of very little, the wonder of nature, our bodies, family dynamics and dealing with uncomprehending bureaucracy and modern life’s antipathy to the natural world. Read it, read it slowly, and reflect on your own relationship to the other lives / life forms on this planet.'