Summary

In “Flower Hunters,” an unnamed woman sits on the porch of her Florida home on Halloween night while her husband takes their two young sons trick-or-treating. She is thinking about William Bartram, an 18th century naturalist who wrote extensively about the flora, fauna, and indigenous tribes of Florida. The woman has been preoccupied lately and forgot to bring muffins to her son's Halloween party at school. She is also reflecting on the fact that her friend Meg has recently told her that she needs some space. She realizes that this is probably a result of her chronic anxiety, which is partially related to climate change, about which she talks frequently and with agitation. It begins to rain, and the woman worries about a small sinkhole on her property. She imagines it growing larger, and then imagines herself sinking into...