Really lovely, and sometimes harsh, reflections on the wild natural world, changing communities, and our place in both. Makes me want to spend time at...moreReally lovely, and sometimes harsh, reflections on the wild natural world, changing communities, and our place in both. Makes me want to spend time at the edge of the sea.(less)
What an incredibly inspirational life artist Ashley Bryan has had. This book is a collage of photographs, examples of his art in many mediums (beach g...moreWhat an incredibly inspirational life artist Ashley Bryan has had. This book is a collage of photographs, examples of his art in many mediums (beach glass stained glass, found object sculptures, paintings and illustrations), and his story, and the whole is a unique, lovely autobiography for kids. I love everything he has to say about following one's passion and making a space for creativity in one's life. His Maine home and studio are supposed to be amazing, and oh, this book only reinforces my desire to visit it.(less)
This felt like an eminently comforting and peaceful book, which is appropriate, since comforting is a lot of what Braestrup spends her life doing. She...moreThis felt like an eminently comforting and peaceful book, which is appropriate, since comforting is a lot of what Braestrup spends her life doing. She seems like someone it would be wonderful to sit down with for a cup of tea—and since she's in Maine, that even feels like a possibility. I took away a lot of kindness and compassion from it, as well as an appreciation of Braestrup's writing style, which is simple and moving at the same time, which feels deep because it's straightforward and yet still beautiful, and which is a perfect fit for the kinds of universal human truths she's dealing with—love and loss, death and life and the natural world.(less)
All the more interesting since she's talking about *my* backyard. Her folksy style can be a little grating, but her presentation of the natural histor...moreAll the more interesting since she's talking about *my* backyard. Her folksy style can be a little grating, but her presentation of the natural history is fascinating.(less)
Oh I enjoyed this a lot—because it was set in Maine, and because it was the first fiction of Liz Gilbert's I've read, and her (strange, and often unpl...moreOh I enjoyed this a lot—because it was set in Maine, and because it was the first fiction of Liz Gilbert's I've read, and her (strange, and often unpleasant) characters and settings felt original, and the clever tying up of all the pieces that I was anticipating did, in fact, come through at the end.(less)