A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

Co-owner/Editor Tracey Koach shares:

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

I participate in a few book clubs. Recently, one of them selected and discussed the 2021 award-winning novel, A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. Everyone loved the book. It is a warm, gentle story.

The story is set on a planetary moon where half of the land mass is for humans and the other half is wild and untouched. It’s nature’s way. Centuries before, robots were the workforce until they became sentient and went on strike. Robots left the humans to their own devices and entered the wild side. One human, Dex, a tea monk, wonders if this is all there is to life and wanders off into the wild forests. Dex encounters a robot, Mosscap, who wants to learn more about humans. Traveling together they learn about each other, the natural world around them, and themselves.

This story of these journeys is beautifully written. It captures a subtle impressionist painting and deftly puts it into words. It is one of those warm paintings that invite you into its world. I recommend it to all and advise rereading it whenever you need a reminder that comfort exists. A Psalm for the Wild-Built is, as the dedication states, “For anybody who could use a break.”