Water in the Desert: A Pilgrimage

An NPR Most Anticipated Book of the Summer

"A generous invitation to follow the many streams that flow into the river of Gary Paul Nabhan's remarkable life and work."--Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass

"I have waited decades for these epic tales to be gathered in one serpentine narrative capable of rattling our souls."--Terry Tempest Williams, author of The Glorians

From acclaimed agrarian activist and ethnobotanist Gary Paul Nabhan, a profoundly inspiring account of interspecies belonging, collaborative conservation, and the sacred work of caring for the earth.

"I went looking for water in the desert and found that the world was teaching me how to listen."

Celebrated as a "world visionary" (Utne Reader) and our "lyrical poet of biodiversity" (Mother Jones), Gary Paul Nabhan has authored dozens of books and been awarded a MacArthur "genius grant." In Water in the Desert, he traces the fascinating story of his life, offering in the process a vision for cultural renewal.

As a Lebanese-American boy growing up in the dunes along Lake Michigan's southern shore, where school is excruciating and symptoms of neurodivergence are diagnosed as disabilities, Nabhan finds refuge and revelation in the natural world. In college, he gravitates to the thinkers now associated with the dawn of ecology as a discipline, writes poetry, and travels to Ecuador and Sonora, Mexico, where he first encounters the Indigenous communities that will come to play a significant role in his life and work. His interest in earth-based spiritual practices leads him to take vows as an Ecumenical Franciscan Brother, which reminds him that "the earth itself--creation, for that matter--was the original scripture." Late in life, he returns to the land of his Arab ancestors, where he discovers a vision of kinship and climate resilience grounded in faith and ecology. And finally, when construction of the southern border wall begins, he collaborates with religious leaders to affirm Indigenous rights to the sacred places threatened by construction.

At once a refreshing account of a pathbreaking scientist-activist's kinship with other species and cultures and an inspiring guide to the deeply collaborative ethic and practice of care required to flourish in kinship on Earth, Water in the Desert is a book for our time.

Gary Paul Nabhan is a celebrated ethnobotanist and biocultural conservationist whose groundbreaking work has advanced ecological restoration, pollinator recovery, and Indigenous food revitalization. A MacArthur "Genius" Fellow, John Burroughs Medal recipient, and James Beard Award winner, he has been recognized nationally for his contributions to both conservation and food culture. He lives in Patagonia, Arizona, where he continues to work at the intersection of ecology and community.