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Swimming to the Top of the Tide: Finding Life Where Land and Water Meet
"Like Wendell Berry and Rachel Carson, Hanlon is a true poet-ecologist, sharing in exquisitely resonant prose her patient observations of nature's most intimate details. As she and her husband, through summer and snow, swim their local creeks and estuaries, we marvel at the timeless yet fragile terrain of both marshlands and marriage. This is the book to awaken all of us, right now, to how our coastline is changing and what it means for our future." --Julia Glass, author of Three Junes and A House Among the Trees
"Written with a swimmer's spirit, a naturalist's eye, and an ecologist's heart, this book took me to places I have never been. I loved it!" --Lynne Cox, author of Swimming to Antarctica and Swimming in the Sink
The Great Marsh is the largest continuous stretch of salt marsh in New England, extending from Cape Ann to New Hampshire. Patricia Hanlon and her husband built their home and raised their children alongside it. But it is not until the children are grown that they begin to swim the tidal estuary daily. Immersing herself, she experiences, with all her senses in all seasons, the vigor of a place where the two ecosystems of fresh and salt water mix, merge, and create new life.
In Swimming to the Top of the Tide, Hanlon lyrically charts her explorations, at once intimate and scientific. Noting the disruptions caused by human intervention, she bears witness to the vitality of the watersheds, their essential role in the natural world, and the responsibility of those who love them to contribute to their sustainability.
Patricia Hanlon is a visual artist who paints the beautiful ecosystem of New England's Great Marsh and is involved in the watershed organizations of Greater Boston. Swimming to the Top of the Tide is her first book.
"Written with a swimmer's spirit, a naturalist's eye, and an ecologist's heart, this book took me to places I have never been. I loved it!" --Lynne Cox, author of Swimming to Antarctica and Swimming in the Sink
The Great Marsh is the largest continuous stretch of salt marsh in New England, extending from Cape Ann to New Hampshire. Patricia Hanlon and her husband built their home and raised their children alongside it. But it is not until the children are grown that they begin to swim the tidal estuary daily. Immersing herself, she experiences, with all her senses in all seasons, the vigor of a place where the two ecosystems of fresh and salt water mix, merge, and create new life.
In Swimming to the Top of the Tide, Hanlon lyrically charts her explorations, at once intimate and scientific. Noting the disruptions caused by human intervention, she bears witness to the vitality of the watersheds, their essential role in the natural world, and the responsibility of those who love them to contribute to their sustainability.
Patricia Hanlon is a visual artist who paints the beautiful ecosystem of New England's Great Marsh and is involved in the watershed organizations of Greater Boston. Swimming to the Top of the Tide is her first book.
224 pages, Paperback
Published June 8, 2021
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234 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Hanlon
2 books3 followersPatricia Hanlon is a visual artist who paints the beautiful ecosystem of New England's Great Marsh and is involved in the watershed organizations of Greater Boston. Swimming to the Top of the Tide is her first book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 22, 2021
I received this book through LibraryThing as an ARC, and the publisher generously included a second book, A Wilder Time: Notes from a Geologist at the Edge of the Greenland Ice by William E. Glassley, which I'll be getting to soon. Thank you, Bellevue Literary Press.
This book begins with a quick bit of geography of the Atlantic coast of the US witnessed from a commercial airline window seat, then arriving home focuses in on Cape Ann, including a mention of history thereof, building to the author's interest in tidal zones.
As noted in the introduction, part one of the book is a chronology of the year from July 2008 to the following summer. That concerning exploring the local tidal estuary waterways, noticing more and more of Nature's essential, intimate details where two ecologies blend, jostle, and bring forth new life.
Part two, on the other hand, is the author's attempt to understand something of our current cultural and evolutionary moment.
I applaud the author for adding her voice to the eco-lit/Nature ranks, but perhaps because I'm an extensive reader, naturalist, and writer I found the writing of the first part verging on bland and the characters paper cutouts. That, in excess travelog like excursions and setting details, with little depth of meaning brought out. The points made are subtle, mostly of the was and now historical vein. Yes, it's non-fiction, but even so I'd expect the writing to be a little more engrossing, to keep those that need to read the book from nodding off, and more effort into enticing the reader to think about our effects on our life sustaining environment.
The second part showed more variety in using various anecdotes, leading to subtle effects on our little blue canoe.
And, to me, the concluding paragraphs were disappointing.
Don't get me wrong, I applaud all approaches to instilling better understanding of the natural world that sustains our being, and this book's approach may be a good starting point for some. Nor am I advocating a fire and brimstone approach to eco-lit. Maybe it's that at my late point in life I'm increasingly impatient with our culturally inculcated apathy regarding the natural world, and subjective avoidance of inconvenient, serious issues affecting humankind.
“Live as if your Life has consequences far beyond your understanding. It does.” ~ Duncan Morrison
Enhance your frame of reference with a balance of meaningful reading. Please, for our sake, our children's, and all the innocents whose futures are threatened.
This book begins with a quick bit of geography of the Atlantic coast of the US witnessed from a commercial airline window seat, then arriving home focuses in on Cape Ann, including a mention of history thereof, building to the author's interest in tidal zones.
As noted in the introduction, part one of the book is a chronology of the year from July 2008 to the following summer. That concerning exploring the local tidal estuary waterways, noticing more and more of Nature's essential, intimate details where two ecologies blend, jostle, and bring forth new life.
Part two, on the other hand, is the author's attempt to understand something of our current cultural and evolutionary moment.
I applaud the author for adding her voice to the eco-lit/Nature ranks, but perhaps because I'm an extensive reader, naturalist, and writer I found the writing of the first part verging on bland and the characters paper cutouts. That, in excess travelog like excursions and setting details, with little depth of meaning brought out. The points made are subtle, mostly of the was and now historical vein. Yes, it's non-fiction, but even so I'd expect the writing to be a little more engrossing, to keep those that need to read the book from nodding off, and more effort into enticing the reader to think about our effects on our life sustaining environment.
The second part showed more variety in using various anecdotes, leading to subtle effects on our little blue canoe.
And, to me, the concluding paragraphs were disappointing.
Don't get me wrong, I applaud all approaches to instilling better understanding of the natural world that sustains our being, and this book's approach may be a good starting point for some. Nor am I advocating a fire and brimstone approach to eco-lit. Maybe it's that at my late point in life I'm increasingly impatient with our culturally inculcated apathy regarding the natural world, and subjective avoidance of inconvenient, serious issues affecting humankind.
“Live as if your Life has consequences far beyond your understanding. It does.” ~ Duncan Morrison
Enhance your frame of reference with a balance of meaningful reading. Please, for our sake, our children's, and all the innocents whose futures are threatened.
March 18, 2022
A very languid read. Hanlon recounts her and her husband's year swimming the marshes in and around West Gloucester, Essex and Ipswich, as well as examines the importance of marshes and the impact humans have had on them. Doesn't sound all that exciting, but damned if it wasn't fascinating!
June 30, 2021
Swimming to the Top of the Tide by Patricia Hanlon is a local story that is universal in its core take aways. The first half of the book focuses on the year (2008-2009) Hanlon and her husband swam the tidal marshes of Cape Ann. Two things are worth noting here: one is that they go from being casual swimmers to serious open/cold water swimmers, which is no joke. There are a lot of little tips and tricks, which are helpful to someone who's not familiar with swimming in wilderness, especially in the cold. Second is the discovery of a whole new way of relating to one's surroundings. From the radical shift in perspective when things are seen from sea level to the emergency vehicles showing up to "rescue" them from the water, the way Hanlon experiences Cape Ann changes in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Again, the information imparted here is very local to Cape Ann area, but universal in many ways to all coastal, estuarial, marshland habitats. Second part of the book takes a longer view, from when the Hansons built their house and had their children to present day (through the pandemic). Through family and local history, and using anecdotal events as jumping off points, Hanson elaborates on the development and current state of the Cape Ann ecology. Some of the information is basic and some very local, but there are many little tidbits that are fun to learn.
Overall, Swimming is a valuable reflection on our connection to nature, from how we've changed the planet to how it has changed us. It's a citizen's record of a year of exploration in the marshes from the mud up. Recommended for those who like mussels, wet suits, hot tubs and swimming holes.
Thanks to the publisher and LibraryThing for a copy of the book.
Overall, Swimming is a valuable reflection on our connection to nature, from how we've changed the planet to how it has changed us. It's a citizen's record of a year of exploration in the marshes from the mud up. Recommended for those who like mussels, wet suits, hot tubs and swimming holes.
Thanks to the publisher and LibraryThing for a copy of the book.
March 5, 2022
An extremely well-written and intelligent collection of essays about swimming and the history of the area. Patricia Hanlon is clearly passionate about her swimming and the environment.
August 8, 2024
A wonderful blend of both personal experience and scientific facts regarding The Great Marsh in the Northeast. Patricia has a lovely way with words, explaining the interactions she has with the wildlife and humans in her areas of Essex and Gloucester. As someone who grew up on the south shore of Massachusetts, this was such an amazing dive into waterways that were so familiar yet so alien. I really enjoyed reading this both as an artist and as an observer of the spaces where fresh and salt water meet to create and sustain the cycle of the worlds.
October 6, 2021
Summary: A memoir of spending a year swimming the creeks and waters of the tidal estuary near her West Gloucester home, a portion of the Great Salt Marsh, and the critical role played in the Earth’s ecosystem by these places where land and water meet.
This book was a delightful surprise–a debut environmental book that holds its own with the works of Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson. Like them, Hanlon brings to our attention a critical part of the Earth’s ecosystem through personal memoir. And she does this in a quiet but unusual fashion.
Hanlon and her husband Robert live north of Boston along a part of the New England coast known as the Great Salt Marsh. Beginning in July of 2008, they began swimming in the estuary and creeks near West Gloucester, where they were living at the time. What is interesting about this tidal basin is the flow of sea water in and out of the estuary and creeks with the tides, and their swims often followed these tides, floating up a creek when the tide was rising and the sea coming in, then reversing at “the top of the tide” and floating back down as the tide receded. They noticed the marsh grasses, uniquely designed to thrive when inundated by salt water, with dense, interwoven root systems that were like sponges, absorbing water and holding land. And they learned about the critical role this marsh grass plays in absorbing storm surges and providing habitat for marine and above ground species alike.
They decide to keep going, acquiring two different wet suits that enabled them to withstand the colder temperatures and they continued to swim through much of the winter, resuming in the spring, keeping a journal of their swims. The first half of the book is a kind of memoir of all these experiences, followed by reflections on this experience, including the importance of the Great Salt Marsh, environmental threats to this ecosystem, positive steps taken locally, and the longer view.
The writing at times gave this reader a sense of floating along with them, carried by the tide, taking in the meeting of sea, land, and sky.
“We were floating barely forward, watching the flecks of marsh grass and air bubbles on the water’s surface slow down and finally pause. All but the top foot or so of the marsh grass was flooded. The stillness pulsed with life sounds normally too faint to hear; the beating of birds’ wings, the drowsy hum of a jet, the slight tinnitus that has been with me as long as I can remember, a mind event that skates the edge between real and unreal” (p. 43).
One of the subthemes of this text is the quotidian beauty of a marriage that has grown, weathered, and flourished through many seasons. Hanlon not only describes their swims together (having a “buddy” is crucial for safety), but also their daily routines, their work spaces, helping each other suit up for a swim, a shared meal of mussels found on a swim. One of the delights of this book was to read a narrative of two people who had learned to live so companionably with each other. I found myself pausing over this parenthesis a few lines after the passage previously cited, after their bodies grazed each other:
“(A lot can be said about marriage, but fundamentally it has to do with two human bodies in close proximity over many years. From time to time as you’re borne along, you catch and hold a gaze, regarding each other from a foot away, twenty feet, an inch or less. Years ago, when we were courting, testing out the edges between friendship and romance, I could not hold the gaze for long. It was too soon. There was not enough “there” yet between us)” (p.43).
The beauty of this work is the integration of the ecology of a local household, a town, an estuary, the Great Salt Marsh, and the rest of the planet with its rising oceans and warming climate. The work gave me an appreciation for the tidal cycles that are such an ongoing part of life in this setting (and foreign to this landbound Midwesterner!). Most of all, it captures something all of us can begin doing–to become aware and attentive of our place–where our water comes from, where our sewage goes, the geology under our feet, the length of our growing season, the plants and creatures we share this space with, and where north is at any given moment. This work brings together observation, reflection, narrative, and science in a beautiful debut work.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
This book was a delightful surprise–a debut environmental book that holds its own with the works of Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson. Like them, Hanlon brings to our attention a critical part of the Earth’s ecosystem through personal memoir. And she does this in a quiet but unusual fashion.
Hanlon and her husband Robert live north of Boston along a part of the New England coast known as the Great Salt Marsh. Beginning in July of 2008, they began swimming in the estuary and creeks near West Gloucester, where they were living at the time. What is interesting about this tidal basin is the flow of sea water in and out of the estuary and creeks with the tides, and their swims often followed these tides, floating up a creek when the tide was rising and the sea coming in, then reversing at “the top of the tide” and floating back down as the tide receded. They noticed the marsh grasses, uniquely designed to thrive when inundated by salt water, with dense, interwoven root systems that were like sponges, absorbing water and holding land. And they learned about the critical role this marsh grass plays in absorbing storm surges and providing habitat for marine and above ground species alike.
They decide to keep going, acquiring two different wet suits that enabled them to withstand the colder temperatures and they continued to swim through much of the winter, resuming in the spring, keeping a journal of their swims. The first half of the book is a kind of memoir of all these experiences, followed by reflections on this experience, including the importance of the Great Salt Marsh, environmental threats to this ecosystem, positive steps taken locally, and the longer view.
The writing at times gave this reader a sense of floating along with them, carried by the tide, taking in the meeting of sea, land, and sky.
“We were floating barely forward, watching the flecks of marsh grass and air bubbles on the water’s surface slow down and finally pause. All but the top foot or so of the marsh grass was flooded. The stillness pulsed with life sounds normally too faint to hear; the beating of birds’ wings, the drowsy hum of a jet, the slight tinnitus that has been with me as long as I can remember, a mind event that skates the edge between real and unreal” (p. 43).
One of the subthemes of this text is the quotidian beauty of a marriage that has grown, weathered, and flourished through many seasons. Hanlon not only describes their swims together (having a “buddy” is crucial for safety), but also their daily routines, their work spaces, helping each other suit up for a swim, a shared meal of mussels found on a swim. One of the delights of this book was to read a narrative of two people who had learned to live so companionably with each other. I found myself pausing over this parenthesis a few lines after the passage previously cited, after their bodies grazed each other:
“(A lot can be said about marriage, but fundamentally it has to do with two human bodies in close proximity over many years. From time to time as you’re borne along, you catch and hold a gaze, regarding each other from a foot away, twenty feet, an inch or less. Years ago, when we were courting, testing out the edges between friendship and romance, I could not hold the gaze for long. It was too soon. There was not enough “there” yet between us)” (p.43).
The beauty of this work is the integration of the ecology of a local household, a town, an estuary, the Great Salt Marsh, and the rest of the planet with its rising oceans and warming climate. The work gave me an appreciation for the tidal cycles that are such an ongoing part of life in this setting (and foreign to this landbound Midwesterner!). Most of all, it captures something all of us can begin doing–to become aware and attentive of our place–where our water comes from, where our sewage goes, the geology under our feet, the length of our growing season, the plants and creatures we share this space with, and where north is at any given moment. This work brings together observation, reflection, narrative, and science in a beautiful debut work.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
October 11, 2021
I received a copy of this book through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program, and I am grateful to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.
It was good, it just didn’t catch my attention as fully as I might have wanted. I think honestly it’s more of a Me problem than the book, and there were definitely things I did like—the story of Hanlon and her husband’s swims I did find engaging, as they felt more and more connected to their surroundings and kept pushing to swim further and further into winter. But I think this book required a kind of visualization that isn’t a part of my reading practice and I ended up feeling geographically lost for a lot of it.
The second half also felt like it grazed something but didn’t settle into it completely; I learned some things, but I dunno, I guess I just wanted more like “hey capitalism, woof,” as a part of grappling with ecosystem loss? I think Hanlon was trying to make a move to gesture at climate change without despair, and I don’t need her to be like High and Mighty about it all, but I think a little greater call to action might have been helpful? I’m not sure, but that part felt a little flat to me.
It was good, it just didn’t catch my attention as fully as I might have wanted. I think honestly it’s more of a Me problem than the book, and there were definitely things I did like—the story of Hanlon and her husband’s swims I did find engaging, as they felt more and more connected to their surroundings and kept pushing to swim further and further into winter. But I think this book required a kind of visualization that isn’t a part of my reading practice and I ended up feeling geographically lost for a lot of it.
The second half also felt like it grazed something but didn’t settle into it completely; I learned some things, but I dunno, I guess I just wanted more like “hey capitalism, woof,” as a part of grappling with ecosystem loss? I think Hanlon was trying to make a move to gesture at climate change without despair, and I don’t need her to be like High and Mighty about it all, but I think a little greater call to action might have been helpful? I’m not sure, but that part felt a little flat to me.
September 14, 2021
The Great Marsh In New England is a large stretch of salt marsh, running from Cape Ann to Hew Hampshire. The author and her husband built a home alongside this marsh and raised their family there. In tribute to those formidable years, the couple decide to swim the tidal estuary on a daily basis, picking a different location each time. This even extended through some of the winter months. Along the way, Hanlon documented this routine, offering observations and explorations on the different ecosystems and how human intervention has altered these hallowed places, so rich in plant and animal diversity. Hanlon is a true poet-ecologist and this is reflected in her easy and informative prose.
October 18, 2021
This delightful exploratory follows an artistic, thoughtful couple’s year-long course of swimming and observing where ocean meets creek along the coast of Massachusetts. Patricia Hanlon relates her observations sufficiently to spark as much curiosity for the reader as the magnificent salt and mud, and reeds and clams did for her. This book is about understanding the complexity and importance of biomass that lies beneath our shrinking wetlands. It’s equally about our relationships with the earth and with each other. Favorite quotes: “Humans are hardwired to prostrate themselves in front of rectangles,” and “Rectangles aren’t found in nature.”
January 17, 2022
An enjoyable read. The story particularly resonated with me because I’m from the area and passed Walker Furniture many times. The book was a gift from my sister, who lives in Gloucester, so this made the book especially appealing. Learning about these creeks from the swimmer’s perspective was fun—not sure I’m quite ready to try it myself, but it certainly gave me a different view of things. The author does a nice job of weaving in some important environmental issues. Well worth the read and a good gift for someone interested in marine issues or this part of the country.
June 6, 2022
Swimming to the Top of the Tide is an excellent read for those who want to feel what it is like to experience a journey for the mind, body and soul. Patricia Hanlon tells us about her connection to the water relaying her thoughts and feelings as her and her husband embarked on a year-long quest to swim the various bodies of water around her New England home. Patricia then takes us on a journey related to the challenges and protections needed to preserve our environment. A great book to put on your reading list.
January 10, 2023
I always find myself pulled toward nature books, especially in the months when I'm inside most of the day. I loved this charming reflection of the author's time spent swimming her local estuaries in New England with her husband. Their children grown, the couple had the time and curiosity to challenge themselves physically and intellectually as they studied the fascinating ecosystems of the fresh and salt water spaces that had surrounded them for years. She includes personal anecdotes and commentary on the natural world, which made this an enjoyable and fascinating read for me.
October 25, 2024
3.4 stars rounded down - I think this book would be very interesting for those who enjoy diving and/or are local to the area this book takes place. I was hoping there would be more about the ecosystems within estuaries. While the author did include some of this, the book generally felt repetitive with the description of dives she and her husband took, where they went (which was almost the same every time), and how long they were out there. It was a light, quick read and I particularly enjoyed the author's reflections on how her relationship with her husband has changed/grown as they've aged.
October 1, 2021
I was pleasantly surprised by this book, which I got out of the library on a whim. The author does a great job of writing about the great marsh area that she swims in. Beautifully written, interesting, and thought-provoking. More of a local book ( I live in the area), but interesting for anyone certainly in New England.
August 1, 2022
Patty and her husband, Robert, swim the marshes near their Gloucester, MA home daily for a year. They buy cold water wet-suits to maintain their outings through winter. Patty is a “Citizen Scientist”, and and writes of the history, and the flora/fauna of the Great Salt Marsh in entertaining layman’s terms.
March 20, 2024
This was a satisfying read that mimicked its own descriptions of the creek's ebb and flow. Hanlon has a deft eye for color and imagery, placing us in the tide that she effortlessly links to analytical, scientific meaning. I enjoyed how her stories (of dive gear, mussel picking, watching the tips of marsh grass) were textured by academic quotes that reminded (but didn't stifle) us of the book's larger purpose.
However, I had trouble engaging with the latter part of the book which steered toward climate change alone; the events felt disconnected from each other and the author, compared to the intimacy of the first three quarters. Witnessing this intersection of science and art was fulfilling, to see how things are even beautiful at the molecular level.
However, I had trouble engaging with the latter part of the book which steered toward climate change alone; the events felt disconnected from each other and the author, compared to the intimacy of the first three quarters. Witnessing this intersection of science and art was fulfilling, to see how things are even beautiful at the molecular level.
June 26, 2021
Loved this book! A fun and educational read about a unique way of exploring the area where I live. From the ecology and geography of the waterways and areas around Essex, MA to sweet interpersonal relationships - and the incredible resilience of these swimmers - a truly enjoyable read!
July 29, 2024
Some really good entries on salt marshes and their makeup, ecological importance, challenges... but the personal narrative parts became repetitive and mundane pretty quickly for me. Gorgeous cover art!
December 19, 2024
This book is so interesting to me. The title enticed me because I love to swim and I love to keep track of the tides. I’m now more interested than ever to explore the tidal regions of our Georgia Golden Isles home.
March 16, 2025
i really loved this book but i was hoping there would be more ties to her life. there was some relation from the changing of ecosystems to growing in age but i only found it scientifically interesting (which i still liked) but not as emotionally meaningful as i wanted.
August 15, 2021
Five stars aren’t enough for this lovely memoir set in the place where we live.
September 25, 2021
📚📚📚📚1/2
dnf
May 13, 2023Its a DNF that was more like I tried but got extremely bored... More like a personal thing to her that I just couldn't get absorbed into with each chapter changing the story.
May 23, 2023
Great book. The first part very much reminds me of Sarah Orne Jewett in how they both describe their prices of quintessential New England, 100+ years apart.
June 30, 2023
Interesting topic. I love Cape Ann and it made me appreciate the Great Salt Marsh even more.
January 19, 2024
One of my favorite books.
February 25, 2025
Special local interest for Cape Ann.
June 30, 2025
It’s wonderful to read a book and know the area that the writer is describing.
Fascinating book!!
Fascinating book!!
July 29, 2025
An enjoyable homage to the North Shore/Essex communities with incredibly detailed accounts of salt mash and tidal ecosystems!
August 21, 2025
3.6 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews