Review of Alejandro Frid\u27s A World for My Daughter: An Ecologist’s Search for Optimism

Granter, Gina M

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

The GooseVolume 15 | No. 1 Article 578-30-2016A World for My Daughter: An Ecologist's Searchfor Optimism by Alejandro FridGina M. GranterDawson CollegePart of the Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Literature in English, North AmericaCommons, Nature and Society Relations Commons, and the Place and Environment CommonsFollow this and additional works at / Suivez-nous ainsi que d’autres travaux et œuvres:https://scholars.wlu.ca/thegooseThis article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Goose by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Cet article vous est accessible gratuitement et en libre accès grâce à Scholars Commons @ Laurier. Le texte a été approuvé pour faire partie intégrantede la revue The Goose par un rédacteur autorisé de Scholars Commons @ Laurier. Pour de plus amples informations, contactezscholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended Citation / Citation recommandéeGranter, Gina M.. "A World for My Daughter: An Ecologist's Search for Optimism by Alejandro Frid." The Goose, vol. 15 , no. 1 , article57, 2016,https://scholars.wlu.ca/thegoose/vol15/iss1/57.Eyes Wide Open: Imagining the Way to a Non-Dystopian Future  A World for My Daughter: An Ecologist’s Search for Optimism by ALEJANDRO FRID Caitlin Press, 2015 $24.95  Reviewed by GINA GRANTER   Early in A World for My Daughter, Alejandro Frid speaks of a camping trip on Yakobi Island, Alaska, with his wife, Gail. It was a tumultuous trip of contingencies, and during which the “weather gods were playing a north-south tug of war” and they “had no forecast” due to being in a blackout zone for radio (26). One might expect such an unpredictable time to be one least likely to generate a discussion about having a child, but that is what they did, for the first time after years of being together: “By the end of the trip,” Frid says to his daughter Twyla Bella, to whom his book is addressed, “there was no doubt in either of our minds: We will not lose sight of what we have seen. We will invite you here, to Earth” (26). This singular way of expressing an idea—in this case, a desire share the Earth and all its tumult and beauty with a child—is characteristic of Frid’s book, which finds unique angles from which its reader may view potential solutions for the ecological crises currently facing our planet. As the title implies, the search for optimism is ongoing, but there is evidence enough in Frid’s book to justify staying the course. Frid is convinced of our potential to change the course of human-wrought environmental degradation, but his is not a placating message glossing over realities; as an ecologist, he is too immersed in evidence to see what is happening with anything other than clarity. In imagining the possibility of us one day looking back from a better future upon our current time, Frid finds precedent in the abolition of slavery in the U.S., in an analogy so simple and so applicable it is astonishing that it is not regularly evoked in environmentalist discourse: that fossil fuels have a similar role—often noted as an indispensable one—in our economy as slavery did in the 18th century, and both are ethically fraught. Yet “[a]gainst unbelievable odds, regular citizens working within their democratic rights have, in many nations, fought the economic establishment and managed to abolish slavery, racism, gender inequality and other injustices, at least from a legal standpoint” (28). As Frid notes, legal protection is far from perfect, but it is an essential step that is urgently needed for many ecosystems, and one that the Harper government was not only failing to enact, but removing at every opportunity. Frid does not hold back in outlining the many ways in which the Conservative government muzzled scientists and enacted policies that have been incredibly damaging to Canada’s ecosystems. That Frid wrote his book during the Harper era, not knowing when the endpoint of that era would be, is a testament to his commitment to his search for optimism. Frid admits to harbouring anger sometimes against the perpetrators of environmental injustice, of which there are many, but that “at the end of the day, I always land here: love for the Earth comes first, and from that love springs the motivation to act on the Earth’s behalf” (171-72). Beautiful passages describing the natural beauty Frid has witnessed in his life and work provide insight into his character and remind readers what is at stake if we do not act. It is in the empowerment of regular citizens to exercise their democratic rights, through voting, letters to elected 1Granter: A World for My Daughter by Alejandro FridPublished by / Publié par Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2016representatives, and protests that Frid finds the most potential for change. Also key to Frid’s search for optimism is the acknowledgement that, despite his own career as a scientist, “Scientific knowledge alone . . . [is] not about to kick-start the restructuring that we need so badly” (28). He insists upon the necessity of stories to our continued survival, and notes the horrific consequences of cutting people off from their stories, as the residential school system did to generations of aboriginal peoples in Canada. Frid is motivated not only by love for Earth but also for his fellow humans: environmental and social justice are bound up together, and the shared efforts on this front are another source of optimism. Frid examines the notion of good citizenship and occasionally civil disobedience, emphasizing a focus on the local, the power of the individual, and the strength of a collective motivated by a sense of love and justice to make changes in one’s community, which in turn help change nations and, ultimately, the world.  For both scientists and for those who dedicate their lives to telling stories, it may seem our future is tending towards dystopia, and the current preponderance and popularity of dystopian literature and film attests to this. A World for My Daughter is clear about the challenges ahead, but is convinced that we have the capacity to confront them. Frid is both a scientist and a storyteller, and the appeal of this book is in Frid’s voice as a whole person, combining scientific knowledge with intimate reflection and autobiography addressed to his daughter. Frid’s is a compassionate voice committed to doing his part to ensure that his daughter loves Earth and is motivated by love for it; in sharing his letters to her with his readers, he reminds us of both the Earth’s beauty and our ability to maintain the forces essential to our physical and psychological survival.  GINA GRANTER teaches English at Dawson College and specializes in Canadian literature, animal studies, and ecocriticism. She lives in Montreal with her three daughters. 2The Goose, Vol. 15, No. 1 [2016], Art. 57https://scholars.wlu.ca/thegoose/vol15/iss1/57

A World for My Daughter: An Ecologist\u27s Search for Optimism by Alejandro Frid

Scholars Commons

The Goose
Volume 15 | No. 1 Article 57
8-30-2016
A World for My Daughter: An Ecologist's Search
for Optimism by Alejandro Frid
Gina M. Granter
Dawson College
Part of the Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Literature in English, North America
Commons, Nature and Society Relations Commons, and the Place and Environment Commons
Follow this and additional works at / Suivez-nous ainsi que d’autres travaux et œuvres:
https://scholars.wlu.ca/thegoose
This article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Goose by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Cet article vous est accessible gratuitement et en libre accès grâce à Scholars Commons @ Laurier. Le texte a été approuvé pour faire partie intégrante
de la revue The Goose par un rédacteur autorisé de Scholars Commons @ Laurier. Pour de plus amples informations, contactez
scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation / Citation recommandée
Granter, Gina M.. "A World for My Daughter: An Ecologist's Search for Optimism by Alejandro Frid." The Goose, vol. 15 , no. 1 , article
57, 2016,
https://scholars.wlu.ca/thegoose/vol15/iss1/57.
Eyes Wide Open: Imagining the Way to a 
Non-Dystopian Future 
 
A World for My Daughter: An Ecologist’s 
Search for Optimism by ALEJANDRO FRID 
Caitlin Press, 2015 $24.95 
 
Reviewed by GINA GRANTER 
 
 Early in A World for My Daughter, 
Alejandro Frid speaks of a camping trip on 
Yakobi Island, Alaska, with his wife, Gail. It 
was a tumultuous trip of contingencies, and 
during which the “weather gods were 
playing a north-south tug of war” and they 
“had no forecast” due to being in a blackout 
zone for radio (26). One might expect such 
an unpredictable time to be one least likely 
to generate a discussion about having a 
child, but that is what they did, for the first 
time after years of being together: “By the 
end of the trip,” Frid says to his daughter 
Twyla Bella, to whom his book is addressed, 
“there was no doubt in either of our minds: 
We will not lose sight of what we have 
seen. We will invite you here, to Earth” (26). 
This singular way of expressing an idea—in 
this case, a desire share the Earth and all its 
tumult and beauty with a child—is 
characteristic of Frid’s book, which finds 
unique angles from which its reader may 
view potential solutions for the ecological 
crises currently facing our planet. 
As the title implies, the search for 
optimism is ongoing, but there is evidence 
enough in Frid’s book to justify staying the 
course. Frid is convinced of our potential to 
change the course of human-wrought 
environmental degradation, but his is not a 
placating message glossing over realities; as 
an ecologist, he is too immersed in evidence 
to see what is happening with anything 
other than clarity. In imagining the 
possibility of us one day looking back from a 
better future upon our current time, Frid 
finds precedent in the abolition of slavery in 
the U.S., in an analogy so simple and so 
applicable it is astonishing that it is not 
regularly evoked in environmentalist 
discourse: that fossil fuels have a similar 
role—often noted as an indispensable 
one—in our economy as slavery did in the 
18th century, and both are ethically fraught. 
Yet “[a]gainst unbelievable odds, regular 
citizens working within their democratic 
rights have, in many nations, fought the 
economic establishment and managed to 
abolish slavery, racism, gender inequality 
and other injustices, at least from a legal 
standpoint” (28). As Frid notes, legal 
protection is far from perfect, but it is an 
essential step that is urgently needed for 
many ecosystems, and one that the Harper 
government was not only failing to enact, 
but removing at every opportunity. Frid 
does not hold back in outlining the many 
ways in which the Conservative government 
muzzled scientists and enacted policies that 
have been incredibly damaging to Canada’s 
ecosystems. That Frid wrote his book during 
the Harper era, not knowing when the 
endpoint of that era would be, is a 
testament to his commitment to his search 
for optimism. 
Frid admits to harbouring anger 
sometimes against the perpetrators of 
environmental injustice, of which there are 
many, but that “at the end of the day, I 
always land here: love for the Earth comes 
first, and from that love springs the 
motivation to act on the Earth’s behalf” 
(171-72). Beautiful passages describing the 
natural beauty Frid has witnessed in his life 
and work provide insight into his character 
and remind readers what is at stake if we 
do not act. It is in the empowerment of 
regular citizens to exercise their democratic 
rights, through voting, letters to elected 
1
Granter: A World for My Daughter by Alejandro Frid
Published by / Publié par Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2016
representatives, and protests that Frid finds 
the most potential for change. 
Also key to Frid’s search for 
optimism is the acknowledgement that, 
despite his own career as a scientist, 
“Scientific knowledge alone . . . [is] not 
about to kick-start the restructuring that we 
need so badly” (28). He insists upon the 
necessity of stories to our continued 
survival, and notes the horrific 
consequences of cutting people off from 
their stories, as the residential school 
system did to generations of aboriginal 
peoples in Canada. Frid is motivated not 
only by love for Earth but also for his fellow 
humans: environmental and social justice 
are bound up together, and the shared 
efforts on this front are another source of 
optimism. Frid examines the notion of good 
citizenship and occasionally civil 
disobedience, emphasizing a focus on the 
local, the power of the individual, and the 
strength of a collective motivated by a 
sense of love and justice to make changes in 
one’s community, which in turn help 
change nations and, ultimately, the world.  
For both scientists and for those 
who dedicate their lives to telling stories, it 
may seem our future is tending towards 
dystopia, and the current preponderance 
and popularity of dystopian literature and 
film attests to this. A World for My 
Daughter is clear about the challenges 
ahead, but is convinced that we have the 
capacity to confront them. Frid is both a 
scientist and a storyteller, and the appeal of 
this book is in Frid’s voice as a whole 
person, combining scientific knowledge 
with intimate reflection and autobiography 
addressed to his daughter. Frid’s is a 
compassionate voice committed to doing 
his part to ensure that his daughter loves 
Earth and is motivated by love for it; in 
sharing his letters to her with his readers, 
he reminds us of both the Earth’s beauty 
and our ability to maintain the forces 
essential to our physical and psychological 
survival. 
 
GINA GRANTER teaches English at Dawson 
College and specializes in Canadian 
literature, animal studies, and ecocriticism. 
She lives in Montreal with her three 
daughters.
 
2
The Goose, Vol. 15, No. 1 [2016], Art. 57
https://scholars.wlu.ca/thegoose/vol15/iss1/57


https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1265&amp;context=thegoose

A World for My Daughter: An Ecologist\u27s Search for Optimism by Alejandro Frid

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