
Quiet and wise—a little gem of a book. Shetterly’s concern for nature is rooted in decades of close observation of her chosen Maine environment. Her gift is to see things as they are—that animals are predators and prey with their own imperatives, as well as fascinating creatures she has the impulse to rescue; that the motives of neighbors who resist conservation efforts deserve respect and understanding, no matter how frustrating the situation; that we must live in the world as it is without giving up the belief that we can improve things.