High Tide in Tucson is a compilation of 25 essays by Barbara Kingsolver, a writer and ecologist, centering around the themes of family, community, and ecology. The book was published in 1995, and praised for its well-written narrative style and thought-provoking themes.
Kingsolver's passion for nature and ecology shines through in these essays, which look at society's standards through an analytical, scientific lens. The loosely related essays tell of her life, candidly portraying her marriage problems and subsequent issues dealing with her kids. Her interest in anthropology related to ecology is a large part of the book; she repeatedly delves into the basic structure of human society stemming from neanderthal times, where men would hunt and women would keep the home. Her essays showcase a great prolificity of thought, and challenge the reader to think about modern social standards in relation to structures set hundreds, thousands of years ago. Kingsolver further uses the book to bring awareness about the importance of environmental conservation, and many of her essays focus on that topic as well.
High Tide in Tucson is no doubt a notable work for its remarkable complexity in focusing on human anthropology in the context of the home and the community, as well as its message of environmental protection.
