Tucked away in a remote stream valley in Vermont, a dynasty of beavers
has nearly completed the restoration of the meadows and ponds that
adorned this stream in the days before the beavers of a continent were
turned into top hats. Willow, Popple, and their progeny begin the
night's work of dam repair, scent marking, tree felling until a soft
call alerts them to the arrival of the strange honorary member of their
clan, this book's author, Patti Smith. They scramble ashore and poke
eagerly about her feet as she prepares to picnic and to record the
events that transpire on the shores of Popple's Pond. Through the
seasons, and through the years, these records-transformed into
interwoven vignettes-invite the reader to enter the world of the beavers
and the other inhabitants of the wetlands. Meet Terrible Jack the lonely
moose, Henri the civilized goose, and the myriad small creatures that
populate the night forest. The author, a native of this landscape,
brings a naturalist's eye and a compassionate voice to these stories.
After three years with the beavers, readers are invited to accompany the
author to other worlds where different characters await. Keep this book
wherever you have a moment for a short adventure- to follow the trail of
a bear cub through the moonlight, enter the low-roofed world of the
snowshoe hare, or to stand in the midst of a melee of migrating
amphibians. These stories offer respite to those wearied by the barrage
of bad news, and a chance to reconnect with the nature that perseveres
around us.
