It Could Happen Here CZM Book Club: The Clover Still Grows Wild in Wawanosh, by Kelly Rose Pflug-Back
Feb 22, 2026
A lush post-apocalyptic slice of life unfolds through clinic visits, ruined prison rituals, and risky trips into a helicopter-patrolled city. Tense interpersonal sparks flare during stolen packages, dangerous antics, and quiet acts of care. The story lingers on community bonds, makeshift comforts, and a final image of clover as stubborn resilience.
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Persistent Pollution Reaches Future Generations
- The story frames environmental contamination as a slow, circulating poison impacting generations.
- Dr. Hansen explains chemicals from the spills broke down unevenly, some concentrating in polar regions and persisting in children born the year of the spills.
Jean-Marc's Stolen Parcel Creates Tension
- Jean-Marc returns from the city with a wrapped package and teases Mina, creating tension around sharing scarce goods.
- He threatens conditional sharing, dodges grabs, and finally gives Mina a hidden packet, hinting at black-market city goods.
Burying Bone Fragments As A Private Ritual
- Mina recounts visiting the ruined prison and finding a dead sparrow, using small rituals to honor the dead with buried bone fragments.
- She pockets bone pieces from ash buckets and buries them on the third hill, drawing blood or hair as a personal remembrance.
