At age 34, Elizabeth Tova Bailey was struck with a severe mystery neurological disorder. While bedridden, she received a pot of wild field violets and a snail.
During her months-long recovery, unable to do much of anything, she formed an attachment to the snail, which sparked a great deal of research into not only what we know about snails, but how they have been depicted in fiction and poetry as well. The snail in question went on to accomplish great things—we won’t spoil the plot for you—and was eventually identified as a Neohelix albolabris, White-Lipped Forest Snail.
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is the gem of a book she wrote about her experience and the snail. It’s a wonderful example of how just one plant or animal can serve as a lens of discovery about a species and an ecosystem and even ourselves.