What a lovely listen. Millet ranges widely over animal lore. While this certainly isn't a plot-driven, edge-of-your-seat book, I did want to continue listening, and I learned a lot that will stay with me. I'm not a fan of this particular moderator =- the voice is too "we're just moseying along" with a sort of "curious" tone and affect that didn't vary - I got beyond it. (Same narrator as for Jenny Odell's recent book on time, and it bugged me there too, more so.) This book is a pleasant, easy-listening experience that will be especially treasured by animal lovers.

Having read and loved Millet’s last two novels, I was eager to pick up this essay collection. The themes she covers in fiction are even more prominent here: a changing climate, human coexistence with animals, childhood/motherhood, existential dread, and finally a plea to save the planet and care for all young creatures. I would describe the essays as meandering and meditative, sprinkled with memoir, science, literature, and history. It’s not a particularly uplifting book, but it does reflect the world we live in, environmentally and culturally, so it’s comforting in a way that says “we can fret about these things together.” If you, like me, are drawn to books like the Sixth Extinction or American Serengeti, then I would add this to your reading list.

My first exposure to Lydia Millet was her 2022 novel "Dinosaurs," which at the time I said had "a kind of quiet drama that I found almost mesmerizing." And while this collection of essays is Millet's first foray into nonfiction, "We Loved It All" has that same hypnotic quality that I continue to find compelling. The topics of these essays--climate change, species extinction--are certainly difficult to read about, but Millet uses a straightforward yet lyrical writing style that manages to memorialize what we have lost while still holding out a sense of hope for the future. This is particularly true in the later essays of the book, which come as close to a stirring call to arms urging the reader forth to action as Millet's understated style will allow. For me the most moving part of the collection was when Millet introduced me to the word "endling," meaning the last of its species, and to the individual stories of many endlings throughout history and at this moment. How many more endlings must we create, she asks, before we act? "We Loved It All" defies simple categorization--there's memoir here, there's science, there's activism, but most importantly, there's beautiful writing and a critically important message. Note: I listened to this title on audiobook and, while the narrator did a perfectly fine job of reading it, I think I would have preferred to read this one myself to allow me to fully appreciate the language and the structure.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Dreamscape Media for providing me with an audio ARC of this title in return for my honest review.

Lydia Millet's "We Loved It All" casts a mesmerizing spell. It's a genre-bending masterpiece, weaving memoir, insightful ecological commentary, and poignant reflection into a stunning tapestry.

Millet's prose is pure poetry. Each sentence shimmers with beauty, whether describing the intricate details of nature or the profound ache of extinction. Her personal stories intertwine with a larger narrative, urging us to re-evaluate our relationship with the natural world.

The book doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of our environmental crisis. Yet, there's a tenderness present too, a love for the creatures we share this planet with. It's a moving call to action, reminding us of the wonders we stand to lose.

"We Loved It All" is more than just a book; it's an experience. It will leave you pondering your place in the world, grateful for its beauty, and determined to fight for its future.

Xe Sands narration is always spot on. Her voice creates an inviting warmth and richness that draws the listener in finding it hard press pause.

Personal essays cover parenting, animal life, global and environmental climate. Although I enjoyed the multitude of subjects, these stories felt a bit all over the place for me.

Millet’s memoir is a meditation on nature and the things we’ve lost, or about to lose. There’s a lot of intriguing information about animals entwined with Millet’s own memories. Her elegant prose and sly humor sustain the reader as she unabashedly considers the future of her own children in a collapsing world.

“I dreamed of a world where one day my child will turn to me and ask, oh Mother, what was war?”

I thought Millet’s novel A Children’s Bible was powerful, terrifying, and incredibly well-written so when I saw this audio pop up on Netgalley I knew I had to request it.

Besides the obvious difference between a dystopia and a non fiction this book was again terrifyingly powerful and extremely well-written. Composed with a lyrical prose, this novel evoked vivid images and haunting feelings about all the other creatures that coexist in this world with us. It felt as if Lydia was speaking directly to me as I listened and it was quite the experience.

The narration by Xe Sands was fantastic. Thank you Dreamscape Media for the alc via Netgalley.

We Loved It All - A Memory of Life written by Lydia Millet and narrated by Xe Sands is a fascinating collection of essays that are part memoir, part observation about the natural world around us

Xe Sands has a beautiful voice which is perfect for this audiobook, gentle, insightful and clearly with a deep empathy for the content. Perfect

The book is a deeply personal account and this is reflected in the narrative. It is a celebration of Millets family and her beginnings on the road of conservationist. It is a record of species already extinct and of those on the brink. It is an absolutely fascinating listen and a more gentle approach to raising awareness of a very, very important issue

Thank you very much to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, the author Lydia Millet and narrator Xe Sands for this illuminating and heartfelt ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

I thoroughly enjoyed this reflective book of non-fiction by Lydia Millet. She writes on nature and conservation, biodiversity, motherhood, and society in such an engaging way. She brings the reader in with her curiosity about the world. The audio narration was beautiful as well. With a book that has such a broad range of topics, the narrator keeps the listener engaged and reminds them of the personal nature of the text. This memoir by Lydia Millet combines intimate portraits of nonhuman beings with personal reflections, making for a genre-defying, emotionally resonant read.

This book might best be described as a memoir composed of meditations or essays. The author makes interesting observations, but without a narrative thrust or call to action, the book feels purposeless and diffuse.

I enjoyed the narration by Xe Sands—it’s very soothing, so this book might be a good choice to listen to for help falling asleep at night.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I really appreciated this personal essay collection by Lydia Millet. Her writing on nature, motherhood and us as a society is very engaging. There was moments that really resonated with me and others I found beyond fascinating. The audio narration was very well done. Millet writes as if she is talking directly to you which makes it even more of a personal experience. Beautiful writing by a talented writer of our time. If you have picked up other works by Millet I think this one will surprise you in a good way, unique and thought provoking.

This one worked really well for me on audio! Most NF/Essays/Memoirs do.

Thank you Dreamscape Media 🎧
Releases 4/2

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.Andthebookshelf/