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World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments
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About This Book
From beloved, award-winning poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil comes a debut work of nonfiction--a collection of essays about the natural world, and the way its inhabitants can teach, support, and inspire us. As a child, Nezhukumatathil called many places home: the grounds of a Kansas mental institution, where her Filipina mother was a doctor; the open skies and tall mountains of Arizona, where she hiked with her Indian father; and the chillier climes of western New York and Ohio. But no matter where she was transplanted--no matter how awkward the fit or forbidding the landscape--she was able to turn to our world's fierce and funny creatures for guidance. "What the peacock can do," she tells us, "is remind you of a home you will run away from and run back to all your life." The axolotl teaches us to smile, even in the face of unkindness; the touch-me-not plant shows us how to shake off unwanted advances; the narwhal demonstrates how to survive in hostile environments. Even in the strange and the unlovely, Nezhukumatathil finds beauty and kinship. For it is this way with wonder: it requires that we are curious enough to look past the distractions in order to fully appreciate the world's gifts. Warm, lyrical, and gorgeously illustrated by Fumi Nakamura, World of Wonders is a book of sustenance and joy.
Reviews
"Nezhukumatathil applies her skill as a poet to a scintillating series of short essays on nature ..."
"Each story is a carefully crafted gem in which the personal and the natural history are woven together, to create a loving portrait of her family ..."
"Nezhukumatathil's background as an accomplished poet makes her debut collection of nonfiction essays anything but dry, and the accompanying illustrations by Fumi Nakamura help elevate the lyricism of her prose ..."
"as sparkling as an armful of glass bangles and as colorful as the peacocks that first captured Nezhukumatathil's imagination."
"Its words are beautiful, but its cover and interior illustrations by Fumi Mini Nakamura may well be what first moves you to pick it up in a bookstore or online ..."
"A lyrical exploration of a woman finding her true home in the world, interspersed with hauntingly beautiful descriptions of the lives of the animals and plants that illuminate it, this natural history will appeal to nature lovers and readers who relish thoughtful, introspective works."
"Nezhukumatathil stuns with her nonfiction debut ..."
"Nezhukumatathil isn't only interested in nature as metaphor."
"Author Nezhukumatathil has previously published volumes of poetry, and now her prose flows effortlessly, with precise vocabulary that evokes clear images and captures insightful nuance ..."
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