This is an anthology of Oliver's work that is composed mainly of prose pieces with a few poems included as well. In general, I prefer her poetry to her prose, but I still enjoyed reading this book.

I had hoped for a bit more about her life with Molly Malone Cook. There was some of that, but I would have liked more. I also enjoyed her nature writing, which is a real strength of hers. There were three essays on Emerson and Hawthorne that seemed a bit out of place among the other material.

Bottom line... Mary Oliver never disappoints and this book was no exception.

I am including this book in the LGBTQ+ Mini-Bookbox.

I'm claiming this from the LGBTQ+ Mini-Bookbox; the essays on nature - and the ones on the works of Emerson and Hawthorne - caught my eye!

Later: Excellent collection here, from her personal memoirs to her literary essays. I think I liked this even better than her collections of poetry, and I did enjoy those. Among my favorite entries here: "Habits, Differences, and the Light That Abides," which includes personal comments on her relationship with Molly Cook: "M. and I have plagued each other with our differences for more than forty years. But it is also a tonic. M. will hardly look at a bush. She wants a speedboat; I want to sit down on the sand and look around and get dreamy; I want to see what spirits are peeking out of the faces of the roses..."

In her literary essays, "with every passing year the great old novels grow more quaint, but no less spectacular".

And the delightful poem "Carrying the Snake to the Garden" - I've rescued a number of snakes in my time...

I left this book in the Little Free Library on this very warm day; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2018 Keep Them Moving release challenge. ***

*** Released for the 2018 Allergic to A release challenge. ***

I'm still enjoying!