Robin Wall Kimmerer offers an excerpt from her new book, “The Serviceberry,” focused on gratitude and reciprocity with nature

Robin Wall Kimmerer, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of “Braiding Sweetgrass,” discusses a theme she returns to often in her writing and teaching, gratitude that must be paired with reciprocity, in an excerpt from her new book, “The Serviceberry.” The passage was published by CBS News on Aug. 21, 2026, as part of the outlet’s book excerpt coverage, highlighting how Kimmerer frames nature not as a resource to be used up, but as a relationship that comes with responsibilities.

In the CBS News excerpt, Kimmerer emphasizes “embracing gratitude and reciprocity” in how people deal with the natural world. The excerpt connects everyday attention to what the environment provides with an ethic of giving back, positioning recognition of gifts as more than a feeling, and as a practice that shapes conduct toward other living things.

Kimmerer’s work has previously become widely known through “Braiding Sweetgrass,” which blends Indigenous teachings with science and personal reflection. CBS News identifies Kimmerer as the author of that bestseller and uses that background to situate “The Serviceberry” within the larger body of her publishing, including her ongoing effort to connect language, learning, and land-based knowledge to contemporary readers.

“The Serviceberry” is presented in the CBS News excerpt as a continuation of that approach, with Kimmerer asking readers to pay attention to the gifts the world offers and to consider how those gifts are shared across communities. The CBS News description frames the book’s focus as the importance of recognizing and sharing what the natural world provides, linking that idea to how people choose what they take and what they return.

CBS News’ excerpt coverage also indicates the readership Kimmerer is reaching. The outlet describes her as a #1 New York Times bestselling author, underscoring the extent to which her ideas have moved into mainstream book audiences rather than remaining within specialized educational or cultural circles.

Kimmerer’s publisher is identified in the CBS News image used for the article, which references a Scribner cover, tying the excerpt to a major U.S. book imprint. The excerpt therefore serves not only as a window into the book’s themes, but also as a part of the publication moment for a title positioned to draw readers beyond Kimmerer’s established base.

Readers encountering the excerpt through mainstream media are likely to see it as a cultural statement as well as a literary one, because Kimmerer’s central premise depends on habits that involve communities, institutions, and everyday choices, not just individual sentiment. As the excerpt circulates, it will likely shape how audiences anticipate the themes of the full book and where those themes fit within ongoing public conversations about how people understand their obligations to land and living systems.

CBS News’ excerpt does not, in the published description, provide additional plot details or a specific timeline for further events, but it does place the book’s central themes in plain view: gratitude as an action-oriented practice and reciprocity as a lens for relating to nature. With the excerpt now in circulation, readers will be able to judge how those ideas develop as “The Serviceberry” moves from excerpt to full text.