I'm conflicted about this book. It was recommended by one reviewer as the one book she would want with her if she were "stranded on a desert island". On the one hand, it really is beautifully written. It takes place mostly with nature as the backdrop, and is told from the perspective of a Thoreau-loving professor (what's not to like there?) On the other hand, it's one of those "soul-mate" romances, complete with intimate scenes that most people find completely acceptable. but that I would rather were just left to the imagination. I will say this, though. Despite the fact that I have always inwardly sneered when someone describes an intimate scene as being "tastefully done", those in this book come as close to it as any I have ever happened across. But that still leaves the whole "soul-mate" thing. I have been accused (by my own kin) of not being very romantic. I guess I'm not. From what I've observed in the world, most couples have to work awfully hard for a strong relationship (at least after the initial syrupy phase). The couple in this story, Mary and Cobb, don't ever have to work at anything from the moment they meet. They do have their trials, though. I'm not spoiling anything by saying that Mary dies, because that is how the book begins. Another idea in the book that I take issue with (that again seems perfectly acceptable to many readers) is that ending a life that has lost some of its quality is preferable to enduring to the end and experiencing some of life's greatest lessons.