Winner of the (Inaugural) 2022 National Book Foundation Science +
Literature Award
From a celebrated Chickasaw writer, a spiritual meditation, in prose and
poetry, on our relationship to the animal world, in an illustrated gift
package.
Concerned that human lives and the natural world are too often defined
by people who are separated from the land and its inhabitants,
Indigenous writer and environmentalist Linda Hogan depicts her own
intense relationships with animals as an example we all can follow to
heal our souls and reconnect with the spirit of the world. From her
modest forest home in Colorado, and venturing throughout the region,
especially to her beloved Oklahoma, she introduces us to horses,
packrats, snakes, mountain lions, elks, wolves, bees, and so many others
whose presence has changed her life. In this illuminating collection of
essays and poems, lightly sprinkled with elegant drawings, Hogan draws
on many Native nations' ancient stories and spiritual traditions to show
us that the soul exists in those delicate places where the natural world
extends into human consciousness--in the mist of morning, the grass that
grew a little through the night, the first warmth of this morning's
sunlight. Altogether, this beautifully packaged gift is a reverential
reminder for all of us to witness and appreciate the radiant lives of
animals.
