This was an excellent read. Transient and Strange perfectly blends memoir with science and non-fiction. I would certainly read more from the author!

Transient and Strange: Notes on the Science of Life by Nell Greenfieldboyce is a collection of essays which explore memory, trauma, parenthood and family, in an enlightening and moving way.

With each essay, Greenfieldboyce centers something personal and anecdotal, but plumbs the depths of these experiences with open-minded questioning, scientific and journalistic research, and reflection. From exploring her approach to parenting through her childrens’ fear of tornadoes, to her relationships with men as a younger woman through the metaphor of Black Holes, Greenfieldboyce invites us into her personal sphere while seeming to open up the world for us.

This approach is thoroughly enjoyable, interesting and often extremely touching. It is a collection I’d return to as there is something grounding and comforting in how Greenfieldboyce reconciles the vastness of science and the universe with the everyday - with the family toaster, or the moment she has to record ambient noise after conducting an interview.

In short, where there is potential for a collection like this to be overwhelming (in regards to the scientific element) or disconnected (in how specific the essays are to author), Greenfieldboyce’s approach and writing style ensure this doesn’t happen. Instead, it feels like an old friend sharing experience and knowledge in the hopes you’ll nod and day ‘Yes, I feel that too.’

4.25 stars/5

I'm a big fan of a braided memoir that weaves history, non fiction and personal stories. Greenfieldboyce does an impeccable job here of doing just that in Transient and Strange.

The narrative seamlessly segues between science or history (or the history of science) and Greenfieldboyce's personal experiences: stories of her youth, her adulthood, her parents, her husband and her children. At times, I found myself so into the writing that I wouldn't even realize that we'd taken a tangent to learn about something off the beaten path.

From worrying about tornadoes to moon rocks shoved into junk drawers to eugenics, Greenfieldboyce makes poignant connections between this strange world we live in with her own lived history.

I found that Part II of this memoir was little tiny moments that seemed a bit more disconnected from the science side of the book that Part I had done so strongly. And then Part III rolled around and I wondered if this is really the story that Greenfieldboyce wanted to tell. The story of getting pregnant in such a way to avoid your kids having the genetic disease that could negatively affect their adult lives like it had affected their dad, grandmother, and great-grandfather before them was intriguing. But it also felt a little bit like oh, so this is what this book was building to. This is the confession that Greenfieldboyce walked around with, unable to talk about for so long. The Project, as she calls it, has clearly weighed so heavily on her shoulders. But I could see why it would be tough to make it the whole memoir or book in general: it's a loaded topic and her experiences are not terribly unusual or out there, in the end.

In a way, though, the final part made the first two parts of the memoir... not cheapened, necessarily, because the entire book is really lovely and interesting and creative, but it put a new light on it. Like was this just the stuff she needed to write so that we the reader would stick around for the tough stuff? It's just something to consider. I still enjoyed the whole memoir thoroughly, and really loved her frank nature of bringing together science and life and history.

A word of caution that this memoir contained several moments that made my skin itch — detailed and candid descriptions of illness, medical procedures (especially IVF) and with pages upon pages about fleas made me need to approach this book in small chunks lest I become overwhelmed. I felt the drive of the quick pace in opposition with this body-tingling horror; I wanted to read more but I needed to take breaks.

Thank you to W. W. Norton & Company and Netgalley for access to an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

This new book Transient and Strange by Nell Greenfieldboyce is all in one surprising word: relatable.

Whether it's relating to her son's anxiety over tornadoes, to her attachment to fascinating topics, or simply to the anecdotal way she connects science and humanity, the entirety of this book felt like a friend sharing a story.

To be honest, being the anxious kid of straightforward parents made reading sections of this book sort of eye opening. It made me wonder at the mental wars my own parents had to go through while teaching me about the world I feared, and still makes me wonder if they would find comfort in knowing they weren't the only parents having late night discussions over the unknowable dangers of childhood phobias.

Maybe it's Greenfieldboyce's written voice, or her experience with NPR, but I found the entire reading experience very calming, even while examining traditionally anxious topics. It really made me reexamine how beauty can sometimes come in terrifying wrapping.

Anyone who liked the book On Looking by Alexandra Horowitz will also enjoy this book. It has a similar vibe of how perspective can change how we see the world.