Letters From Eden: A Year at Home, in the Woods

My first copy of this book was a former library book that I picked-up at a book swap last year. It had a few dings and smudges and appeared to have been read several times; I glanced through it, and selected it. I found it to be a delightful collection of short stories accompanied by beautiful sketches and watercolors. Its format made it easy to read, for a just few minutes or an extended period, depending on the amount of time I had at the moment. I have enjoyed it so much, that I recently purchased a copy in better condition to keep. I wrote a short note explaining what I liked about the book, taped it to the plastic cover of my first copy, and donated it at our group's next book swap held earlier this month. I noticed someone else took that copy home.

This is a delightful book written by a great and enthustic lover of nature. Ms Zickefoose became a biologist with the Nature Conservancy. She decided to become a biologist as a young child and was encouraged by her parents to follow her dreams. She loves nature,the changing seasons and the wildlife. She is a marvelous artist, drawing scenes,different animals, but her favorite animal is the bird. There are drawings and water colors of birds of all colors, all sizes, beautiful birds, colorful birds, drab birds plus other animals. I bought this book because the Nature Conservancy highly recommended it on Public Radio. Julie Zickefoose has separated her book into the four seasons. Each season is presented into different years, different places where this biologist has worked. She tells of her interaction with birds and other animals,of watching and enjoying them. Ms Zickefoose is retired from the Nature Conservancy and has bought a large plot of land in the Appalachian mountains of southern Ohio. One story is about her bullfrog, Fergus, who she raised from a tadpool and placed in her pool until she found he was dining on her birds. He was exiled from her home. This one of her many stories about her animal friends. All her stories are fun. Ms Zickefoose has two kids and is enjoying working her land, watching, writing about, drawing and interacting with her animal friends. The book is delightful, informative about animals,plants, trees and nature in general. I highly enjoy it and am glad I bought it. Enjoyable.

To give this book five stars is a bit risky. It has a minor flaw or two. It raises the question of what a person can do when Julie Zickefoose writes an even better book. However, this book goes straight to a bird lover's heart. Readers of Bird Watcher's Digest have long enjoyed Zickefoose's essays and paintings. This collection of essays reminds us that she is one of the best nature writers publishing today. Almost every emotion finds its way into "Letters from Eden." There is the expectation, discovery, and excitement of going with Julie on her walks through the southern Ohio forest. The walks can also provide a quiet time. There is the humor of the essay on bullfrogs or Julie poking fun at herself because she wants some chickens. There is loss as human thoughtlessness harms an animal or bird. There is tenderness as Julie, ever the rehabilitator, nurses birds and animals to the point of releasing them into the wild. There is wonder as various wild things demonstrate intelligence beyond what humans normally expect of them. Raising young children in an area where there are copperhead snakes can lend a touch of terror. That is counterbalanced by Julie's faith in all things natural. Not least among the emotions is the reader's enjoyment in these delightful narratives. Then again, there is always balance in Julie's stories. She recognizes that predators must eat, even when it means the death of a loved bird. Weedy brush from foreign soil tries to overrun everything but provides needed shelter for wildlife. House sparrows introduced from England are a threat to native species but Julie notes that it is through no fault of their own. She is a vegetable gardener who rues the damage birds and animals do to her crops, but weighs that against the benefit they gain from her garden and the joy she gets from seeing them there. Zickefoose is a mother and her young children are ever present in these essays. Again, there is a nice balance between the love of family and the fact that they cut into the time available for studying the outdoors and writing. Julie's art is a perfect complement to the essays. There are simple pencil drawings and quick watercolors. There are also some beautifully finished paintings and ink drawings. The text is very easily read, although the field notes accompanying some of the sketches are sometimes hard to make out. The thirty-some essays were originally meant to stand alone. Julie has organized them here by seasons of the year. Therein is a minor flaw. The essays do not lead into one another easily and they jump back and forth in time. Zickefoose recognizes the problem and mentions it in her Foreword. Still, it is a flaw and leaves room for an even better book - a book that gets six stars out of five.

First saw Julie's beautiful watercolors in The Nature Conservancy's magazine. As a former field biologist, she brings years of observation to her art work. Every drawing is accompanied by a story, some stories may make you sad, some may increase your understanding of the natural world and the part we play in the survival of certain species. I bought this book as a present for my bird-loving dad and couldn't resist reading it cover to cover.

There is nothing exciting or particularly dramatic about this book, but Zickefoose's gentle musings on her life in Ohio and her encounters with her fellow creatures are charming, informative and life affirming. I am not a particularly visual person, so I was captivated by her prose, not her pictures, tho' I understand she is an artist of some renown. For me, the joy was in how incredibly observant and conversant she is with the natural world. She sees what most of us would simply walk past, and further, she knows a great deal about what she sees. This is a lovely book if you are interested in reading about birds (and some other animals) and their behavior but without any specific plot line or story. These are, rather, a series of essays or unconnected stories that together form a narrative of life amidst the natural world. Her other book which revolves around her life as a song bird rehabilitator is fascinating and perhaps more cohesive because it follows a single theme. I learned a great deal from that and enjoyed it immensely. She has the ability to draw the reader in and share what she knows effortlessly.

I really love this book. Reading it is like walking through my backyard and visiting old friends. Although the book is mostly written from an Ohio perspective, I also look forward to the various bird and animal visitors we get each season here in New England. I look forward to that first sighting of a junco in Winter and the sound of the Wood frogs that herald spring. I have to read the chapter on the Grossbeak invasions to my wife since she told me stories of this happening in her childhood and her Dad also made a window feeder for them. The writing is down-to-earth and genuine with some sadness but a lot of humor and an obvious love of life. The Author's pencil sketches and watercolors are perfect. She has the ability to capture the personality of a bird or animal in a few pencil strokes that I wish I had. The book is actually smaller that I envisioned it - I didn't bother to look at the dimensions before ordering it - but I am glad since it is easier to carry and read in bed. I am only three quarters through the book, but I have a feeling I will be re-reading it a lot.

I have enjoyed reading Julie Zickefoose's articles in "Bird Watcher's Digest" for years and also liked her earlier PBS radio segments. In addition to her down to earth observations, her art work is wonderful with all the details. She is such a caring person and this book is an extension of that. It's like sitting down with a good friend!

Simply gorgeous- the words and the artwork. A real treasure.

Julie Zickefoose somehow educates and amuses simultaneously. She captures details in nature trough story telling and artistry, and makes them come alive. I especially enjoyed the chapter about Fergus the bullfrog, titled Paradise Lost. Letters From Eden makes one want to get out and explore, look, and discover the wonders of nature. For that we should all be grateful. This book is to be savored slowly, bit by bit. It is a treasure.

beautiful meditations on what matters

My first copy of this book was a former library book that I picked-up at a book swap last year. It had a few dings and smudges and appeared to have been read several times; I glanced through it, and selected it. I found it to be a delightful collection of short stories accompanied by beautiful sketches and watercolors. Its format made it easy to read, for a just few minutes or an extended period, depending on the amount of time I had at the moment. I have enjoyed it so much, that I recently purchased a copy in better condition to keep. I wrote a short note explaining what I liked about the book, taped it to the plastic cover of my first copy, and donated it at our group's next book swap held earlier this month. I noticed someone else took that copy home.

This is a delightful book written by a great and enthustic lover of nature. Ms Zickefoose became a biologist with the Nature Conservancy. She decided to become a biologist as a young child and was encouraged by her parents to follow her dreams. She loves nature,the changing seasons and the wildlife. She is a marvelous artist, drawing scenes,different animals, but her favorite animal is the bird. There are drawings and water colors of birds of all colors, all sizes, beautiful birds, colorful birds, drab birds plus other animals. I bought this book because the Nature Conservancy highly recommended it on Public Radio. Julie Zickefoose has separated her book into the four seasons. Each season is presented into different years, different places where this biologist has worked. She tells of her interaction with birds and other animals,of watching and enjoying them. Ms Zickefoose is retired from the Nature Conservancy and has bought a large plot of land in the Appalachian mountains of southern Ohio. One story is about her bullfrog, Fergus, who she raised from a tadpool and placed in her pool until she found he was dining on her birds. He was exiled from her home. This one of her many stories about her animal friends. All her stories are fun. Ms Zickefoose has two kids and is enjoying working her land, watching, writing about, drawing and interacting with her animal friends. The book is delightful, informative about animals,plants, trees and nature in general. I highly enjoy it and am glad I bought it. Enjoyable.

To give this book five stars is a bit risky. It has a minor flaw or two. It raises the question of what a person can do when Julie Zickefoose writes an even better book. However, this book goes straight to a bird lover's heart. Readers of Bird Watcher's Digest have long enjoyed Zickefoose's essays and paintings. This collection of essays reminds us that she is one of the best nature writers publishing today. Almost every emotion finds its way into "Letters from Eden." There is the expectation, discovery, and excitement of going with Julie on her walks through the southern Ohio forest. The walks can also provide a quiet time. There is the humor of the essay on bullfrogs or Julie poking fun at herself because she wants some chickens. There is loss as human thoughtlessness harms an animal or bird. There is tenderness as Julie, ever the rehabilitator, nurses birds and animals to the point of releasing them into the wild. There is wonder as various wild things demonstrate intelligence beyond what humans normally expect of them. Raising young children in an area where there are copperhead snakes can lend a touch of terror. That is counterbalanced by Julie's faith in all things natural. Not least among the emotions is the reader's enjoyment in these delightful narratives. Then again, there is always balance in Julie's stories. She recognizes that predators must eat, even when it means the death of a loved bird. Weedy brush from foreign soil tries to overrun everything but provides needed shelter for wildlife. House sparrows introduced from England are a threat to native species but Julie notes that it is through no fault of their own. She is a vegetable gardener who rues the damage birds and animals do to her crops, but weighs that against the benefit they gain from her garden and the joy she gets from seeing them there. Zickefoose is a mother and her young children are ever present in these essays. Again, there is a nice balance between the love of family and the fact that they cut into the time available for studying the outdoors and writing. Julie's art is a perfect complement to the essays. There are simple pencil drawings and quick watercolors. There are also some beautifully finished paintings and ink drawings. The text is very easily read, although the field notes accompanying some of the sketches are sometimes hard to make out. The thirty-some essays were originally meant to stand alone. Julie has organized them here by seasons of the year. Therein is a minor flaw. The essays do not lead into one another easily and they jump back and forth in time. Zickefoose recognizes the problem and mentions it in her Foreword. Still, it is a flaw and leaves room for an even better book - a book that gets six stars out of five.

First saw Julie's beautiful watercolors in The Nature Conservancy's magazine. As a former field biologist, she brings years of observation to her art work. Every drawing is accompanied by a story, some stories may make you sad, some may increase your understanding of the natural world and the part we play in the survival of certain species. I bought this book as a present for my bird-loving dad and couldn't resist reading it cover to cover.

There is nothing exciting or particularly dramatic about this book, but Zickefoose's gentle musings on her life in Ohio and her encounters with her fellow creatures are charming, informative and life affirming. I am not a particularly visual person, so I was captivated by her prose, not her pictures, tho' I understand she is an artist of some renown. For me, the joy was in how incredibly observant and conversant she is with the natural world. She sees what most of us would simply walk past, and further, she knows a great deal about what she sees. This is a lovely book if you are interested in reading about birds (and some other animals) and their behavior but without any specific plot line or story. These are, rather, a series of essays or unconnected stories that together form a narrative of life amidst the natural world. Her other book which revolves around her life as a song bird rehabilitator is fascinating and perhaps more cohesive because it follows a single theme. I learned a great deal from that and enjoyed it immensely. She has the ability to draw the reader in and share what she knows effortlessly.

I really love this book. Reading it is like walking through my backyard and visiting old friends. Although the book is mostly written from an Ohio perspective, I also look forward to the various bird and animal visitors we get each season here in New England. I look forward to that first sighting of a junco in Winter and the sound of the Wood frogs that herald spring. I have to read the chapter on the Grossbeak invasions to my wife since she told me stories of this happening in her childhood and her Dad also made a window feeder for them. The writing is down-to-earth and genuine with some sadness but a lot of humor and an obvious love of life. The Author's pencil sketches and watercolors are perfect. She has the ability to capture the personality of a bird or animal in a few pencil strokes that I wish I had. The book is actually smaller that I envisioned it - I didn't bother to look at the dimensions before ordering it - but I am glad since it is easier to carry and read in bed. I am only three quarters through the book, but I have a feeling I will be re-reading it a lot.

I have enjoyed reading Julie Zickefoose's articles in "Bird Watcher's Digest" for years and also liked her earlier PBS radio segments. In addition to her down to earth observations, her art work is wonderful with all the details. She is such a caring person and this book is an extension of that. It's like sitting down with a good friend!

Simply gorgeous- the words and the artwork. A real treasure.

Julie Zickefoose somehow educates and amuses simultaneously. She captures details in nature trough story telling and artistry, and makes them come alive. I especially enjoyed the chapter about Fergus the bullfrog, titled Paradise Lost. Letters From Eden makes one want to get out and explore, look, and discover the wonders of nature. For that we should all be grateful. This book is to be savored slowly, bit by bit. It is a treasure.

beautiful meditations on what matters

My first copy of this book was a former library book that I picked-up at a book swap last year. It had a few dings and smudges and appeared to have been read several times; I glanced through it, and selected it. I found it to be a delightful collection of short stories accompanied by beautiful sketches and watercolors. Its format made it easy to read, for a just few minutes or an extended period, depending on the amount of time I had at the moment. I have enjoyed it so much, that I recently purchased a copy in better condition to keep. I wrote a short note explaining what I liked about the book, taped it to the plastic cover of my first copy, and donated it at our group's next book swap held earlier this month. I noticed someone else took that copy home.

This is a delightful book written by a great and enthustic lover of nature. Ms Zickefoose became a biologist with the Nature Conservancy. She decided to become a biologist as a young child and was encouraged by her parents to follow her dreams. She loves nature,the changing seasons and the wildlife. She is a marvelous artist, drawing scenes,different animals, but her favorite animal is the bird. There are drawings and water colors of birds of all colors, all sizes, beautiful birds, colorful birds, drab birds plus other animals. I bought this book because the Nature Conservancy highly recommended it on Public Radio. Julie Zickefoose has separated her book into the four seasons. Each season is presented into different years, different places where this biologist has worked. She tells of her interaction with birds and other animals,of watching and enjoying them. Ms Zickefoose is retired from the Nature Conservancy and has bought a large plot of land in the Appalachian mountains of southern Ohio. One story is about her bullfrog, Fergus, who she raised from a tadpool and placed in her pool until she found he was dining on her birds. He was exiled from her home. This one of her many stories about her animal friends. All her stories are fun. Ms Zickefoose has two kids and is enjoying working her land, watching, writing about, drawing and interacting with her animal friends. The book is delightful, informative about animals,plants, trees and nature in general. I highly enjoy it and am glad I bought it. Enjoyable.

To give this book five stars is a bit risky. It has a minor flaw or two. It raises the question of what a person can do when Julie Zickefoose writes an even better book. However, this book goes straight to a bird lover's heart. Readers of Bird Watcher's Digest have long enjoyed Zickefoose's essays and paintings. This collection of essays reminds us that she is one of the best nature writers publishing today. Almost every emotion finds its way into "Letters from Eden." There is the expectation, discovery, and excitement of going with Julie on her walks through the southern Ohio forest. The walks can also provide a quiet time. There is the humor of the essay on bullfrogs or Julie poking fun at herself because she wants some chickens. There is loss as human thoughtlessness harms an animal or bird. There is tenderness as Julie, ever the rehabilitator, nurses birds and animals to the point of releasing them into the wild. There is wonder as various wild things demonstrate intelligence beyond what humans normally expect of them. Raising young children in an area where there are copperhead snakes can lend a touch of terror. That is counterbalanced by Julie's faith in all things natural. Not least among the emotions is the reader's enjoyment in these delightful narratives. Then again, there is always balance in Julie's stories. She recognizes that predators must eat, even when it means the death of a loved bird. Weedy brush from foreign soil tries to overrun everything but provides needed shelter for wildlife. House sparrows introduced from England are a threat to native species but Julie notes that it is through no fault of their own. She is a vegetable gardener who rues the damage birds and animals do to her crops, but weighs that against the benefit they gain from her garden and the joy she gets from seeing them there. Zickefoose is a mother and her young children are ever present in these essays. Again, there is a nice balance between the love of family and the fact that they cut into the time available for studying the outdoors and writing. Julie's art is a perfect complement to the essays. There are simple pencil drawings and quick watercolors. There are also some beautifully finished paintings and ink drawings. The text is very easily read, although the field notes accompanying some of the sketches are sometimes hard to make out. The thirty-some essays were originally meant to stand alone. Julie has organized them here by seasons of the year. Therein is a minor flaw. The essays do not lead into one another easily and they jump back and forth in time. Zickefoose recognizes the problem and mentions it in her Foreword. Still, it is a flaw and leaves room for an even better book - a book that gets six stars out of five.

First saw Julie's beautiful watercolors in The Nature Conservancy's magazine. As a former field biologist, she brings years of observation to her art work. Every drawing is accompanied by a story, some stories may make you sad, some may increase your understanding of the natural world and the part we play in the survival of certain species. I bought this book as a present for my bird-loving dad and couldn't resist reading it cover to cover.

There is nothing exciting or particularly dramatic about this book, but Zickefoose's gentle musings on her life in Ohio and her encounters with her fellow creatures are charming, informative and life affirming. I am not a particularly visual person, so I was captivated by her prose, not her pictures, tho' I understand she is an artist of some renown. For me, the joy was in how incredibly observant and conversant she is with the natural world. She sees what most of us would simply walk past, and further, she knows a great deal about what she sees. This is a lovely book if you are interested in reading about birds (and some other animals) and their behavior but without any specific plot line or story. These are, rather, a series of essays or unconnected stories that together form a narrative of life amidst the natural world. Her other book which revolves around her life as a song bird rehabilitator is fascinating and perhaps more cohesive because it follows a single theme. I learned a great deal from that and enjoyed it immensely. She has the ability to draw the reader in and share what she knows effortlessly.

I really love this book. Reading it is like walking through my backyard and visiting old friends. Although the book is mostly written from an Ohio perspective, I also look forward to the various bird and animal visitors we get each season here in New England. I look forward to that first sighting of a junco in Winter and the sound of the Wood frogs that herald spring. I have to read the chapter on the Grossbeak invasions to my wife since she told me stories of this happening in her childhood and her Dad also made a window feeder for them. The writing is down-to-earth and genuine with some sadness but a lot of humor and an obvious love of life. The Author's pencil sketches and watercolors are perfect. She has the ability to capture the personality of a bird or animal in a few pencil strokes that I wish I had. The book is actually smaller that I envisioned it - I didn't bother to look at the dimensions before ordering it - but I am glad since it is easier to carry and read in bed. I am only three quarters through the book, but I have a feeling I will be re-reading it a lot.

I have enjoyed reading Julie Zickefoose's articles in "Bird Watcher's Digest" for years and also liked her earlier PBS radio segments. In addition to her down to earth observations, her art work is wonderful with all the details. She is such a caring person and this book is an extension of that. It's like sitting down with a good friend!

Simply gorgeous- the words and the artwork. A real treasure.

Julie Zickefoose somehow educates and amuses simultaneously. She captures details in nature trough story telling and artistry, and makes them come alive. I especially enjoyed the chapter about Fergus the bullfrog, titled Paradise Lost. Letters From Eden makes one want to get out and explore, look, and discover the wonders of nature. For that we should all be grateful. This book is to be savored slowly, bit by bit. It is a treasure.

beautiful meditations on what matters

My first copy of this book was a former library book that I picked-up at a book swap last year. It had a few dings and smudges and appeared to have been read several times; I glanced through it, and selected it. I found it to be a delightful collection of short stories accompanied by beautiful sketches and watercolors. Its format made it easy to read, for a just few minutes or an extended period, depending on the amount of time I had at the moment. I have enjoyed it so much, that I recently purchased a copy in better condition to keep. I wrote a short note explaining what I liked about the book, taped it to the plastic cover of my first copy, and donated it at our group's next book swap held earlier this month. I noticed someone else took that copy home.

This is a delightful book written by a great and enthustic lover of nature. Ms Zickefoose became a biologist with the Nature Conservancy. She decided to become a biologist as a young child and was encouraged by her parents to follow her dreams. She loves nature,the changing seasons and the wildlife. She is a marvelous artist, drawing scenes,different animals, but her favorite animal is the bird. There are drawings and water colors of birds of all colors, all sizes, beautiful birds, colorful birds, drab birds plus other animals. I bought this book because the Nature Conservancy highly recommended it on Public Radio. Julie Zickefoose has separated her book into the four seasons. Each season is presented into different years, different places where this biologist has worked. She tells of her interaction with birds and other animals,of watching and enjoying them. Ms Zickefoose is retired from the Nature Conservancy and has bought a large plot of land in the Appalachian mountains of southern Ohio. One story is about her bullfrog, Fergus, who she raised from a tadpool and placed in her pool until she found he was dining on her birds. He was exiled from her home. This one of her many stories about her animal friends. All her stories are fun. Ms Zickefoose has two kids and is enjoying working her land, watching, writing about, drawing and interacting with her animal friends. The book is delightful, informative about animals,plants, trees and nature in general. I highly enjoy it and am glad I bought it. Enjoyable.

To give this book five stars is a bit risky. It has a minor flaw or two. It raises the question of what a person can do when Julie Zickefoose writes an even better book. However, this book goes straight to a bird lover's heart. Readers of Bird Watcher's Digest have long enjoyed Zickefoose's essays and paintings. This collection of essays reminds us that she is one of the best nature writers publishing today. Almost every emotion finds its way into "Letters from Eden." There is the expectation, discovery, and excitement of going with Julie on her walks through the southern Ohio forest. The walks can also provide a quiet time. There is the humor of the essay on bullfrogs or Julie poking fun at herself because she wants some chickens. There is loss as human thoughtlessness harms an animal or bird. There is tenderness as Julie, ever the rehabilitator, nurses birds and animals to the point of releasing them into the wild. There is wonder as various wild things demonstrate intelligence beyond what humans normally expect of them. Raising young children in an area where there are copperhead snakes can lend a touch of terror. That is counterbalanced by Julie's faith in all things natural. Not least among the emotions is the reader's enjoyment in these delightful narratives. Then again, there is always balance in Julie's stories. She recognizes that predators must eat, even when it means the death of a loved bird. Weedy brush from foreign soil tries to overrun everything but provides needed shelter for wildlife. House sparrows introduced from England are a threat to native species but Julie notes that it is through no fault of their own. She is a vegetable gardener who rues the damage birds and animals do to her crops, but weighs that against the benefit they gain from her garden and the joy she gets from seeing them there. Zickefoose is a mother and her young children are ever present in these essays. Again, there is a nice balance between the love of family and the fact that they cut into the time available for studying the outdoors and writing. Julie's art is a perfect complement to the essays. There are simple pencil drawings and quick watercolors. There are also some beautifully finished paintings and ink drawings. The text is very easily read, although the field notes accompanying some of the sketches are sometimes hard to make out. The thirty-some essays were originally meant to stand alone. Julie has organized them here by seasons of the year. Therein is a minor flaw. The essays do not lead into one another easily and they jump back and forth in time. Zickefoose recognizes the problem and mentions it in her Foreword. Still, it is a flaw and leaves room for an even better book - a book that gets six stars out of five.

First saw Julie's beautiful watercolors in The Nature Conservancy's magazine. As a former field biologist, she brings years of observation to her art work. Every drawing is accompanied by a story, some stories may make you sad, some may increase your understanding of the natural world and the part we play in the survival of certain species. I bought this book as a present for my bird-loving dad and couldn't resist reading it cover to cover.

There is nothing exciting or particularly dramatic about this book, but Zickefoose's gentle musings on her life in Ohio and her encounters with her fellow creatures are charming, informative and life affirming. I am not a particularly visual person, so I was captivated by her prose, not her pictures, tho' I understand she is an artist of some renown. For me, the joy was in how incredibly observant and conversant she is with the natural world. She sees what most of us would simply walk past, and further, she knows a great deal about what she sees. This is a lovely book if you are interested in reading about birds (and some other animals) and their behavior but without any specific plot line or story. These are, rather, a series of essays or unconnected stories that together form a narrative of life amidst the natural world. Her other book which revolves around her life as a song bird rehabilitator is fascinating and perhaps more cohesive because it follows a single theme. I learned a great deal from that and enjoyed it immensely. She has the ability to draw the reader in and share what she knows effortlessly.

I really love this book. Reading it is like walking through my backyard and visiting old friends. Although the book is mostly written from an Ohio perspective, I also look forward to the various bird and animal visitors we get each season here in New England. I look forward to that first sighting of a junco in Winter and the sound of the Wood frogs that herald spring. I have to read the chapter on the Grossbeak invasions to my wife since she told me stories of this happening in her childhood and her Dad also made a window feeder for them. The writing is down-to-earth and genuine with some sadness but a lot of humor and an obvious love of life. The Author's pencil sketches and watercolors are perfect. She has the ability to capture the personality of a bird or animal in a few pencil strokes that I wish I had. The book is actually smaller that I envisioned it - I didn't bother to look at the dimensions before ordering it - but I am glad since it is easier to carry and read in bed. I am only three quarters through the book, but I have a feeling I will be re-reading it a lot.

I have enjoyed reading Julie Zickefoose's articles in "Bird Watcher's Digest" for years and also liked her earlier PBS radio segments. In addition to her down to earth observations, her art work is wonderful with all the details. She is such a caring person and this book is an extension of that. It's like sitting down with a good friend!

Simply gorgeous- the words and the artwork. A real treasure.

Julie Zickefoose somehow educates and amuses simultaneously. She captures details in nature trough story telling and artistry, and makes them come alive. I especially enjoyed the chapter about Fergus the bullfrog, titled Paradise Lost. Letters From Eden makes one want to get out and explore, look, and discover the wonders of nature. For that we should all be grateful. This book is to be savored slowly, bit by bit. It is a treasure.

beautiful meditations on what matters

My first copy of this book was a former library book that I picked-up at a book swap last year. It had a few dings and smudges and appeared to have been read several times; I glanced through it, and selected it. I found it to be a delightful collection of short stories accompanied by beautiful sketches and watercolors. Its format made it easy to read, for a just few minutes or an extended period, depending on the amount of time I had at the moment. I have enjoyed it so much, that I recently purchased a copy in better condition to keep. I wrote a short note explaining what I liked about the book, taped it to the plastic cover of my first copy, and donated it at our group's next book swap held earlier this month. I noticed someone else took that copy home.

This is a delightful book written by a great and enthustic lover of nature. Ms Zickefoose became a biologist with the Nature Conservancy. She decided to become a biologist as a young child and was encouraged by her parents to follow her dreams. She loves nature,the changing seasons and the wildlife. She is a marvelous artist, drawing scenes,different animals, but her favorite animal is the bird. There are drawings and water colors of birds of all colors, all sizes, beautiful birds, colorful birds, drab birds plus other animals. I bought this book because the Nature Conservancy highly recommended it on Public Radio. Julie Zickefoose has separated her book into the four seasons. Each season is presented into different years, different places where this biologist has worked. She tells of her interaction with birds and other animals,of watching and enjoying them. Ms Zickefoose is retired from the Nature Conservancy and has bought a large plot of land in the Appalachian mountains of southern Ohio. One story is about her bullfrog, Fergus, who she raised from a tadpool and placed in her pool until she found he was dining on her birds. He was exiled from her home. This one of her many stories about her animal friends. All her stories are fun. Ms Zickefoose has two kids and is enjoying working her land, watching, writing about, drawing and interacting with her animal friends. The book is delightful, informative about animals,plants, trees and nature in general. I highly enjoy it and am glad I bought it. Enjoyable.

To give this book five stars is a bit risky. It has a minor flaw or two. It raises the question of what a person can do when Julie Zickefoose writes an even better book. However, this book goes straight to a bird lover's heart. Readers of Bird Watcher's Digest have long enjoyed Zickefoose's essays and paintings. This collection of essays reminds us that she is one of the best nature writers publishing today. Almost every emotion finds its way into "Letters from Eden." There is the expectation, discovery, and excitement of going with Julie on her walks through the southern Ohio forest. The walks can also provide a quiet time. There is the humor of the essay on bullfrogs or Julie poking fun at herself because she wants some chickens. There is loss as human thoughtlessness harms an animal or bird. There is tenderness as Julie, ever the rehabilitator, nurses birds and animals to the point of releasing them into the wild. There is wonder as various wild things demonstrate intelligence beyond what humans normally expect of them. Raising young children in an area where there are copperhead snakes can lend a touch of terror. That is counterbalanced by Julie's faith in all things natural. Not least among the emotions is the reader's enjoyment in these delightful narratives. Then again, there is always balance in Julie's stories. She recognizes that predators must eat, even when it means the death of a loved bird. Weedy brush from foreign soil tries to overrun everything but provides needed shelter for wildlife. House sparrows introduced from England are a threat to native species but Julie notes that it is through no fault of their own. She is a vegetable gardener who rues the damage birds and animals do to her crops, but weighs that against the benefit they gain from her garden and the joy she gets from seeing them there. Zickefoose is a mother and her young children are ever present in these essays. Again, there is a nice balance between the love of family and the fact that they cut into the time available for studying the outdoors and writing. Julie's art is a perfect complement to the essays. There are simple pencil drawings and quick watercolors. There are also some beautifully finished paintings and ink drawings. The text is very easily read, although the field notes accompanying some of the sketches are sometimes hard to make out. The thirty-some essays were originally meant to stand alone. Julie has organized them here by seasons of the year. Therein is a minor flaw. The essays do not lead into one another easily and they jump back and forth in time. Zickefoose recognizes the problem and mentions it in her Foreword. Still, it is a flaw and leaves room for an even better book - a book that gets six stars out of five.

First saw Julie's beautiful watercolors in The Nature Conservancy's magazine. As a former field biologist, she brings years of observation to her art work. Every drawing is accompanied by a story, some stories may make you sad, some may increase your understanding of the natural world and the part we play in the survival of certain species. I bought this book as a present for my bird-loving dad and couldn't resist reading it cover to cover.

There is nothing exciting or particularly dramatic about this book, but Zickefoose's gentle musings on her life in Ohio and her encounters with her fellow creatures are charming, informative and life affirming. I am not a particularly visual person, so I was captivated by her prose, not her pictures, tho' I understand she is an artist of some renown. For me, the joy was in how incredibly observant and conversant she is with the natural world. She sees what most of us would simply walk past, and further, she knows a great deal about what she sees. This is a lovely book if you are interested in reading about birds (and some other animals) and their behavior but without any specific plot line or story. These are, rather, a series of essays or unconnected stories that together form a narrative of life amidst the natural world. Her other book which revolves around her life as a song bird rehabilitator is fascinating and perhaps more cohesive because it follows a single theme. I learned a great deal from that and enjoyed it immensely. She has the ability to draw the reader in and share what she knows effortlessly.

I really love this book. Reading it is like walking through my backyard and visiting old friends. Although the book is mostly written from an Ohio perspective, I also look forward to the various bird and animal visitors we get each season here in New England. I look forward to that first sighting of a junco in Winter and the sound of the Wood frogs that herald spring. I have to read the chapter on the Grossbeak invasions to my wife since she told me stories of this happening in her childhood and her Dad also made a window feeder for them. The writing is down-to-earth and genuine with some sadness but a lot of humor and an obvious love of life. The Author's pencil sketches and watercolors are perfect. She has the ability to capture the personality of a bird or animal in a few pencil strokes that I wish I had. The book is actually smaller that I envisioned it - I didn't bother to look at the dimensions before ordering it - but I am glad since it is easier to carry and read in bed. I am only three quarters through the book, but I have a feeling I will be re-reading it a lot.

I have enjoyed reading Julie Zickefoose's articles in "Bird Watcher's Digest" for years and also liked her earlier PBS radio segments. In addition to her down to earth observations, her art work is wonderful with all the details. She is such a caring person and this book is an extension of that. It's like sitting down with a good friend!

Simply gorgeous- the words and the artwork. A real treasure.

Julie Zickefoose somehow educates and amuses simultaneously. She captures details in nature trough story telling and artistry, and makes them come alive. I especially enjoyed the chapter about Fergus the bullfrog, titled Paradise Lost. Letters From Eden makes one want to get out and explore, look, and discover the wonders of nature. For that we should all be grateful. This book is to be savored slowly, bit by bit. It is a treasure.

beautiful meditations on what matters

This book was given to me as a gift, as I am an avid birder and naturalist. I found an unexpected treasure-trove of illustrations, stories, and frank wisdom that enraptured me for hours. Zickefoose's writing is poetic at times, and her account of the changing seasons is unforgettable. The book focuses a great deal on birds, but does not forget the other natural wonders of the world, including frogs, turtles, possums, and plants, among others. I find that I come back to this book often, rereading individual sections, an entire season's worth of stories, or sometimes the entire book. It is a treat for the eyes, and I have given it as a gift on several occasions to nature enthusiasts of all ages and levels of experience. I highly recommend this book and firmly believe that a great variety of people will adore it as much as I do.

A gift for my daughter. I love everything Julie has written/illustrated.

Beautiful art work with essays all who love nature can appreciate

Absolutely inspiring... a joy to read and savor... this writer / artist has such tremendous talent !

Beautiful. Well-written, thoughtful, I could go on and on. This book was like a walk through my nearby woods with a friend who knows and loves all the plants and critters and can tell me about them.

Wonderful bird stories, fabulous watercolor bird illustrations! Zickefoose has devoted her entire life to birds, except for brief excursions as necessary for her successful family life.

I have another book by the same author. Her writing and illustrations are exceptional! Entertaining, informative, and overall enjoyable. I will be looking for her books again! Reasonably priced, used, through Amazon.

What a great read! I cannot recommend this book highly enough! Julie is a great writer and artist. I've lent this book many times and all my friends love it, too.

liked the accuracy of delivery. Using the book for pleasure reading and reference.

Very well written and a very good read! Julie Zickefoose has now become on of my favorite authors. Her experiences very frequently make you feel good after you have read them. I would recommend this her books to anyone who enjoys reading about nature and enjoys it.

My first copy of this book was a former library book that I picked-up at a book swap last year. It had a few dings and smudges and appeared to have been read several times; I glanced through it, and selected it. I found it to be a delightful collection of short stories accompanied by beautiful sketches and watercolors. Its format made it easy to read, for a just few minutes or an extended period, depending on the amount of time I had at the moment. I have enjoyed it so much, that I recently purchased a copy in better condition to keep. I wrote a short note explaining what I liked about the book, taped it to the plastic cover of my first copy, and donated it at our group's next book swap held earlier this month. I noticed someone else took that copy home.

This is a delightful book written by a great and enthustic lover of nature. Ms Zickefoose became a biologist with the Nature Conservancy. She decided to become a biologist as a young child and was encouraged by her parents to follow her dreams. She loves nature,the changing seasons and the wildlife. She is a marvelous artist, drawing scenes,different animals, but her favorite animal is the bird. There are drawings and water colors of birds of all colors, all sizes, beautiful birds, colorful birds, drab birds plus other animals. I bought this book because the Nature Conservancy highly recommended it on Public Radio. Julie Zickefoose has separated her book into the four seasons. Each season is presented into different years, different places where this biologist has worked. She tells of her interaction with birds and other animals,of watching and enjoying them. Ms Zickefoose is retired from the Nature Conservancy and has bought a large plot of land in the Appalachian mountains of southern Ohio. One story is about her bullfrog, Fergus, who she raised from a tadpool and placed in her pool until she found he was dining on her birds. He was exiled from her home. This one of her many stories about her animal friends. All her stories are fun. Ms Zickefoose has two kids and is enjoying working her land, watching, writing about, drawing and interacting with her animal friends. The book is delightful, informative about animals,plants, trees and nature in general. I highly enjoy it and am glad I bought it. Enjoyable.

To give this book five stars is a bit risky. It has a minor flaw or two. It raises the question of what a person can do when Julie Zickefoose writes an even better book. However, this book goes straight to a bird lover's heart. Readers of Bird Watcher's Digest have long enjoyed Zickefoose's essays and paintings. This collection of essays reminds us that she is one of the best nature writers publishing today. Almost every emotion finds its way into "Letters from Eden." There is the expectation, discovery, and excitement of going with Julie on her walks through the southern Ohio forest. The walks can also provide a quiet time. There is the humor of the essay on bullfrogs or Julie poking fun at herself because she wants some chickens. There is loss as human thoughtlessness harms an animal or bird. There is tenderness as Julie, ever the rehabilitator, nurses birds and animals to the point of releasing them into the wild. There is wonder as various wild things demonstrate intelligence beyond what humans normally expect of them. Raising young children in an area where there are copperhead snakes can lend a touch of terror. That is counterbalanced by Julie's faith in all things natural. Not least among the emotions is the reader's enjoyment in these delightful narratives. Then again, there is always balance in Julie's stories. She recognizes that predators must eat, even when it means the death of a loved bird. Weedy brush from foreign soil tries to overrun everything but provides needed shelter for wildlife. House sparrows introduced from England are a threat to native species but Julie notes that it is through no fault of their own. She is a vegetable gardener who rues the damage birds and animals do to her crops, but weighs that against the benefit they gain from her garden and the joy she gets from seeing them there. Zickefoose is a mother and her young children are ever present in these essays. Again, there is a nice balance between the love of family and the fact that they cut into the time available for studying the outdoors and writing. Julie's art is a perfect complement to the essays. There are simple pencil drawings and quick watercolors. There are also some beautifully finished paintings and ink drawings. The text is very easily read, although the field notes accompanying some of the sketches are sometimes hard to make out. The thirty-some essays were originally meant to stand alone. Julie has organized them here by seasons of the year. Therein is a minor flaw. The essays do not lead into one another easily and they jump back and forth in time. Zickefoose recognizes the problem and mentions it in her Foreword. Still, it is a flaw and leaves room for an even better book - a book that gets six stars out of five.

First saw Julie's beautiful watercolors in The Nature Conservancy's magazine. As a former field biologist, she brings years of observation to her art work. Every drawing is accompanied by a story, some stories may make you sad, some may increase your understanding of the natural world and the part we play in the survival of certain species. I bought this book as a present for my bird-loving dad and couldn't resist reading it cover to cover.

There is nothing exciting or particularly dramatic about this book, but Zickefoose's gentle musings on her life in Ohio and her encounters with her fellow creatures are charming, informative and life affirming. I am not a particularly visual person, so I was captivated by her prose, not her pictures, tho' I understand she is an artist of some renown. For me, the joy was in how incredibly observant and conversant she is with the natural world. She sees what most of us would simply walk past, and further, she knows a great deal about what she sees. This is a lovely book if you are interested in reading about birds (and some other animals) and their behavior but without any specific plot line or story. These are, rather, a series of essays or unconnected stories that together form a narrative of life amidst the natural world. Her other book which revolves around her life as a song bird rehabilitator is fascinating and perhaps more cohesive because it follows a single theme. I learned a great deal from that and enjoyed it immensely. She has the ability to draw the reader in and share what she knows effortlessly.

I really love this book. Reading it is like walking through my backyard and visiting old friends. Although the book is mostly written from an Ohio perspective, I also look forward to the various bird and animal visitors we get each season here in New England. I look forward to that first sighting of a junco in Winter and the sound of the Wood frogs that herald spring. I have to read the chapter on the Grossbeak invasions to my wife since she told me stories of this happening in her childhood and her Dad also made a window feeder for them. The writing is down-to-earth and genuine with some sadness but a lot of humor and an obvious love of life. The Author's pencil sketches and watercolors are perfect. She has the ability to capture the personality of a bird or animal in a few pencil strokes that I wish I had. The book is actually smaller that I envisioned it - I didn't bother to look at the dimensions before ordering it - but I am glad since it is easier to carry and read in bed. I am only three quarters through the book, but I have a feeling I will be re-reading it a lot.

I have enjoyed reading Julie Zickefoose's articles in "Bird Watcher's Digest" for years and also liked her earlier PBS radio segments. In addition to her down to earth observations, her art work is wonderful with all the details. She is such a caring person and this book is an extension of that. It's like sitting down with a good friend!

Simply gorgeous- the words and the artwork. A real treasure.

Julie Zickefoose somehow educates and amuses simultaneously. She captures details in nature trough story telling and artistry, and makes them come alive. I especially enjoyed the chapter about Fergus the bullfrog, titled Paradise Lost. Letters From Eden makes one want to get out and explore, look, and discover the wonders of nature. For that we should all be grateful. This book is to be savored slowly, bit by bit. It is a treasure.

beautiful meditations on what matters

This is a wonderful little book. Julie Zickefoose is a writer, illustrator, and contributor to NPR. In this book, organized by the seasons of the year, she shares her experiences living on her 80-acre farm in southern Ohio. She brings a sense of wonder to seemingly mundane things such as squabbling starlings and the wreck of her vegetable garden.There are sad points, such as euthanising a little opossum caught in a steel trap, but most of the book is devoted to happier topics. I really enjoyed reading it.

This is a lovely book with beautiful illustrations painted or sketched by the author. The short stories about her life as a young wife and mother and the wildlife around her and her family are heartfelt and heartwarming. This book would be good for anyone who loves nature, who paints or draws, or who would love to live life in the woods, close to nature. This book is full of illustrations and is mostly about the wildlife on 80 acres near her home. I love this book!

Both the books I've read by Julie Zickefoose are beautiful, informative and enjoyable to read.

Lovely stories and beautiful drawings!!

This is a wonderful book, thoughtfully written, beautifully illustrated (by the author)...a great gift and "keeper" for those who treasure close observation of Nature's wonders!

WONDERFUL BOOK!!!!!! Her stories can bring tears to the eyes and how wonderful to have someone who loves birds and wildlife as much as we do.

I bought this book because of a review I read in "The Union Leader" by nature lover and writer, Stacey Cole. The illustrations are beautiful and accurate. Ms. Zickefoose was a field biologist for The Nature Conservancy at the beginning of her career. Any one who loves nature will adore this book.

I loved Ms. Zickefoose's little book. It's a publication one reads in small doses, enjoying her comments and her art. The style is like having a really good conversation with an interesting, accomplished naturalist. I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys nature.

Magical thoughts on every page :)

Experience the seasons with Julie and her family on their wildlife sanctuary in the Appalachian foothills in southern Ohio. A gem of a book, if you love birds and other animals... very real and full of the wonder of everyday happenings - if you keep your eyes open.

My first copy of this book was a former library book that I picked-up at a book swap last year. It had a few dings and smudges and appeared to have been read several times; I glanced through it, and selected it. I found it to be a delightful collection of short stories accompanied by beautiful sketches and watercolors. Its format made it easy to read, for a just few minutes or an extended period, depending on the amount of time I had at the moment. I have enjoyed it so much, that I recently purchased a copy in better condition to keep. I wrote a short note explaining what I liked about the book, taped it to the plastic cover of my first copy, and donated it at our group's next book swap held earlier this month. I noticed someone else took that copy home.

This is a delightful book written by a great and enthustic lover of nature. Ms Zickefoose became a biologist with the Nature Conservancy. She decided to become a biologist as a young child and was encouraged by her parents to follow her dreams. She loves nature,the changing seasons and the wildlife. She is a marvelous artist, drawing scenes,different animals, but her favorite animal is the bird. There are drawings and water colors of birds of all colors, all sizes, beautiful birds, colorful birds, drab birds plus other animals. I bought this book because the Nature Conservancy highly recommended it on Public Radio. Julie Zickefoose has separated her book into the four seasons. Each season is presented into different years, different places where this biologist has worked. She tells of her interaction with birds and other animals,of watching and enjoying them. Ms Zickefoose is retired from the Nature Conservancy and has bought a large plot of land in the Appalachian mountains of southern Ohio. One story is about her bullfrog, Fergus, who she raised from a tadpool and placed in her pool until she found he was dining on her birds. He was exiled from her home. This one of her many stories about her animal friends. All her stories are fun. Ms Zickefoose has two kids and is enjoying working her land, watching, writing about, drawing and interacting with her animal friends. The book is delightful, informative about animals,plants, trees and nature in general. I highly enjoy it and am glad I bought it. Enjoyable.

To give this book five stars is a bit risky. It has a minor flaw or two. It raises the question of what a person can do when Julie Zickefoose writes an even better book. However, this book goes straight to a bird lover's heart. Readers of Bird Watcher's Digest have long enjoyed Zickefoose's essays and paintings. This collection of essays reminds us that she is one of the best nature writers publishing today. Almost every emotion finds its way into "Letters from Eden." There is the expectation, discovery, and excitement of going with Julie on her walks through the southern Ohio forest. The walks can also provide a quiet time. There is the humor of the essay on bullfrogs or Julie poking fun at herself because she wants some chickens. There is loss as human thoughtlessness harms an animal or bird. There is tenderness as Julie, ever the rehabilitator, nurses birds and animals to the point of releasing them into the wild. There is wonder as various wild things demonstrate intelligence beyond what humans normally expect of them. Raising young children in an area where there are copperhead snakes can lend a touch of terror. That is counterbalanced by Julie's faith in all things natural. Not least among the emotions is the reader's enjoyment in these delightful narratives. Then again, there is always balance in Julie's stories. She recognizes that predators must eat, even when it means the death of a loved bird. Weedy brush from foreign soil tries to overrun everything but provides needed shelter for wildlife. House sparrows introduced from England are a threat to native species but Julie notes that it is through no fault of their own. She is a vegetable gardener who rues the damage birds and animals do to her crops, but weighs that against the benefit they gain from her garden and the joy she gets from seeing them there. Zickefoose is a mother and her young children are ever present in these essays. Again, there is a nice balance between the love of family and the fact that they cut into the time available for studying the outdoors and writing. Julie's art is a perfect complement to the essays. There are simple pencil drawings and quick watercolors. There are also some beautifully finished paintings and ink drawings. The text is very easily read, although the field notes accompanying some of the sketches are sometimes hard to make out. The thirty-some essays were originally meant to stand alone. Julie has organized them here by seasons of the year. Therein is a minor flaw. The essays do not lead into one another easily and they jump back and forth in time. Zickefoose recognizes the problem and mentions it in her Foreword. Still, it is a flaw and leaves room for an even better book - a book that gets six stars out of five.

First saw Julie's beautiful watercolors in The Nature Conservancy's magazine. As a former field biologist, she brings years of observation to her art work. Every drawing is accompanied by a story, some stories may make you sad, some may increase your understanding of the natural world and the part we play in the survival of certain species. I bought this book as a present for my bird-loving dad and couldn't resist reading it cover to cover.

There is nothing exciting or particularly dramatic about this book, but Zickefoose's gentle musings on her life in Ohio and her encounters with her fellow creatures are charming, informative and life affirming. I am not a particularly visual person, so I was captivated by her prose, not her pictures, tho' I understand she is an artist of some renown. For me, the joy was in how incredibly observant and conversant she is with the natural world. She sees what most of us would simply walk past, and further, she knows a great deal about what she sees. This is a lovely book if you are interested in reading about birds (and some other animals) and their behavior but without any specific plot line or story. These are, rather, a series of essays or unconnected stories that together form a narrative of life amidst the natural world. Her other book which revolves around her life as a song bird rehabilitator is fascinating and perhaps more cohesive because it follows a single theme. I learned a great deal from that and enjoyed it immensely. She has the ability to draw the reader in and share what she knows effortlessly.

I really love this book. Reading it is like walking through my backyard and visiting old friends. Although the book is mostly written from an Ohio perspective, I also look forward to the various bird and animal visitors we get each season here in New England. I look forward to that first sighting of a junco in Winter and the sound of the Wood frogs that herald spring. I have to read the chapter on the Grossbeak invasions to my wife since she told me stories of this happening in her childhood and her Dad also made a window feeder for them. The writing is down-to-earth and genuine with some sadness but a lot of humor and an obvious love of life. The Author's pencil sketches and watercolors are perfect. She has the ability to capture the personality of a bird or animal in a few pencil strokes that I wish I had. The book is actually smaller that I envisioned it - I didn't bother to look at the dimensions before ordering it - but I am glad since it is easier to carry and read in bed. I am only three quarters through the book, but I have a feeling I will be re-reading it a lot.

I have enjoyed reading Julie Zickefoose's articles in "Bird Watcher's Digest" for years and also liked her earlier PBS radio segments. In addition to her down to earth observations, her art work is wonderful with all the details. She is such a caring person and this book is an extension of that. It's like sitting down with a good friend!

Simply gorgeous- the words and the artwork. A real treasure.

Julie Zickefoose somehow educates and amuses simultaneously. She captures details in nature trough story telling and artistry, and makes them come alive. I especially enjoyed the chapter about Fergus the bullfrog, titled Paradise Lost. Letters From Eden makes one want to get out and explore, look, and discover the wonders of nature. For that we should all be grateful. This book is to be savored slowly, bit by bit. It is a treasure.

beautiful meditations on what matters

This book is a keeper and I'll probably read it several times. I have already ordered another for my daughter and am thinking of sending this book to others as well.

i enjoyed the book, author did great job incorporating life experiences in her work. enjoyable reading, birdwatchers can relate to. d marshall

Great book

Wonderful read. Great drawings. Excellrnt talent for birding.

Beautiful art

Julie Zickefoose is writing from her own little Eden in southeastern Ohio. She and her husband, Bill, looked for land in this area and found just what they wanted, 40 acres, then bought 40 more and are enjoying living on the land. Ms Zickefoose retired from the Nature Conservancy as a field biologist. She loves nature and can't get enough of the country, trees, shrubs, wild flowers, wild animals. Her favorite animals are birds, including chickens. There are wonderful water colors and sketches of birds throughout the book. Her daughter is named Phoebe after the Phoebe bird. But there are beautiful water colors and sketches of other animals, wild flowers and the countryside. I first heard of this book on Public Radio several years ago, highly recommended, buy it read it. Ms Zickefoose comes from a nature loving family. She writes about her German Iowa grandmother, her parents. Her father, one Christmas, build her a large bird feeder, this was her favorite gift when she was a child. Her father made many bird feeders from different materials. Her parents encouraged her to follow her dreams as a field biologist and a naturalist. Her two children are being taught the ways of nature and encouraged to love wild country, wild life. The book goes through four seasons, beginning with winter, spring, summer, ending in fall. Julie takes walks in the woods and fields with her children and alone. She works around her property and is there for all her animal friends. I enjoyed about reading when she was living in another state, while walking in the woods, she cam across steel traps containing dead racoons and a half dead young opossum. She killed the opossum, then smashed to pieces the traps and threw them over the fence of the property owner. She hoped they were expensive traps. She enjoyed watching a doe with two young fawns that danced with joy. Ms Zickefoose feels these animals know that hunting season was over. Ms Zickefoose gets angry at sharp shinned hawks for killing and eating her birds, but yet she doesn't . She knows hunters have to exist. She writes of the arrival of the robins. The robins are coming to my neighborhood for spring and are very welcome. Julie Zickefoose has her favorite birds, all birds are her favorites. She loves seeing them coming to her Eden, building nests, counts their eggs and loves seeing the young fledge. She helps with their nests, protects them against hunters. She has a favorite snake, one eyed Jake. She likes Jake, but he likes Julie's birds. She keeps her eye on the snake, but he also belongs in her Eden. She has worked with a vet rehabilitating turtles. There is no wild animal she doesn't like including hunters. She writes about different birds, their personalities, their squables, their fight over nests; Julie feels bad about English sparrows and starlings that are taking food, land and much else away from native birds but through no fault of their own. They were brought to America and did well. It is great reading about how Julie and her family love life, enjoy their little part of the world. Julie works hard for her family and her plant and animal friends. There is the multiflora rose which is an introduced plant. It is a blob plant but it makes great nests and good bird food.,therefore Julie lets this plant stay. Ms Zickefoose plants fruit and vegetables but doesn't get to eat much of her planting. Her animal friends get to it first. There is Fergus, her bullfrog, the big one who lived in her pond until he was caught dining on her birds. He was sent into exile as were his smaller frog friends when they grew big enough to dine on birds. At last comes fall, my favorite season. The countryside is ablaze with color. Julie Zickefoose and her family have the Big Sit, the family are birding and counting. They did well in 2002. Red tailed hawks, turkey vultures, red headed woodpeckers, snow geese, black crowned night herons and more. The book ends when Julie finds a bird trapped in a grocery store. Paul had all he wanted to eat, was warm, safe, but Ms Zickefoose feels he was not happy. He was wild, not free. She managed, after a time, to catch him. She took him home, freed him to fly free and be with his own. Julie comments on how intelligent birds are and tells many stories about their tricks. She does not like house sparrows. Surprise. This book can be read a little at a time or all at once again and again. Julie and her family's enjoyment of life and of their home in the country is wonderful. This is a book of the love of the wild world and the appreciation of nature's beauty.

Being a long time subscriber and reader of Bird Watcher's Digest, I was quite familiar with the art and writing of Julie Zickefoose. I pretty well knew what I was getting when I ordered this book. I am also an avid fan of the art of essay writing, a fanatical birder and armature naturalist. I have for years, been a reader and admirer of the writings of Edwin Way Teale, a sort of natural history literary God for me, and a rather obsessive reader of Thoreau, in particular his observations concerning the natural world around him. Now there are several aspects of this volume that I find delightful, exciting and gratifying. First, Ms. Zickefoose is simply a better writer than Teale was, and there is no doubt in my mind that her knowledge has far exceeded his. As to Thoreau; I suppose taste comes into play here and while I always have and always will consider him one of the greats, I must admit that it is refreshing to read a series of natural history essays without having to plow through various social and political rants on every other page. Then there is the artistic aspect. This woman can draw and she can paint! In particular her bird and plant renderings can hold their own against anyone in the business today. Each plate, each picture is an absolute delight to the eye. I will gladly throw rocks at anyone who calls her a "mere illustrator" and not a true artist. Another, and probably the most important aspect of this work that has so impressed me is the author's absolute passion for the subjects she writes of. This passion simply drips, in a very good way, from almost ever well constructed sentence. I love it when people truly feel and feel strongly. This is a series of natural history essays written at and about her home place in Ohio. It has been broken done in a sort of chronology, with representative work for Winter, Summer, Spring, Fall and back to Winter. The author has taken us with her on walks about her as she traverses her 80 acres, sharing her thoughts and observations. I was delighted to note that she has included her children, an obvious large part of her life, in with many of her tales. Her observations are quite astute and insightful. There again, I am not unfamiliar with the subject matter here, having a place of my own much as she describes; mine is in the Missouri Ozarks, but critters are critters and animals are animals. I must humbly admit that I learned much from reading this work. Her observations and the information she provides have me looking at certain aspects of my own ramblings in a complete different light. She has made many of the same observations I have made over the years, but in her case, she is able to articulate and record in the written word things that I simply do not have the skill to do. As I read her work I feel she is writing for me and to me and I completely understand what she is saying, I am simply not able to say or write with her skill. I simply do not have her formal training and I am so grateful for people like her that are able and willing to share their knowledge. When I first received this work I felt that it would be a good one to set on my table, pick up occasionally and read a chapter here and there. No, no,no...that did not work out so well. After the first page she had me hooked and I had to read the thing cover to cover, almost non-stop. This is one thought that will be read over and over again by me over the years. This is a very well designed book and well crafted. This is not a book that will fall apart after a few readings as so many newer books tend to do. High quality paper, print and craftsmanship have gone into its making. It is a pleasure to hold and read. As a side note; her chapter on the Common Eastern Box Turtle is worth the price of the book alone. I had to laugh as she wrote of her tendency to rescue these wonderful little creatures from certain death as the cross roads. I have been doing the same thing for years and have dodged many a car in doing so. All in all, a completely delightful read. Evan if you are not a lover of our natural world, one that is swiftly drifting away from us, you will love this work. Don Blankenship The Ozarks

Julie Zickefoose's delightful book took me back to my country roots. And how interesting it was to see the world through the eyes of a field biologist! You not only meet yellow-bellied sapsuckers and snakes, but you learn interesting tidbits about their nature and often about their interaction with Zickefoose, her husband, Bill Thompson III, and their two young children, Phoebe and Liam. The author once relocated a snake to a safer habitat after her daughter ran over it with her tricycle. Besides an engaging writing style, Zickefoose illustrates the book with pencil drawings and paintings of birds, animals and nature scenes. From a nosy turtle, peering down at you, to wildflowers and birds, she uses color and detail to enhance the printed word. It's a great book for your coffee table, but you can expect guests to ask to borrow it. Letters From Eden condenses eight years of life on 50 acres in southern Ohio into stories related to winter, spring, summer and fall. By simply paying attention, Zickefoose focuses ours on details of nature that might have slipped by unappreciated by the uninformed eye. An index helps you find those stories you want to reread. If you can't get out in the field, take the trip with Zickefoose, and if you can get out, let her open your eyes to all the things you might have missed.

Anyone who loves looking at and reflecting upon nature will love this book. The author's engaging essays and impressive artwork reveal her intimate knowledge of birds, other animals, and the fascinating ways in which nature works, as well as her deep feeling for all living things. You'll also appreciate her honesty, humility, and great sense of humor, all of which are used to entertain and illuminate in the most natural of ways, for she is an excellent storyteller. In fact, part way through the book, you'll start to feel as if you have made a new friend. In a way you have, as the essays and artwork invite revisiting anytime to recall a touching or humorous moment that you now feel as though you share with her. As another reviewer commented, the stories alone would make a wonderful book, yet you are also treated to a lavish number of watercolors and pencil drawings, each one worthy of long and careful attention to absorb the nuances of line and color that convey telling details not just about the species, but also about the individual character and countenance of the bird or animal being portrayed. The artist captures very specific details with her keen eye, yet she distills the details down to those that are most essential, so the images convey the freshness of precise moments she experiences. Even the production of the book feels special--it has a warm and inviting feel and is clearly designed with quality in mind--no doubt the publisher realized the book is one that will be kept and treasured. Perhaps most important of all, Letters From Eden is a perfect book to read when you want to let go of stress and be reminded of everyday joys available to you. If you buy this book as a gift for someone, be sure to buy a second copy for yourself, because it will be hard to part with it once it is in your hands.

Letters from Eden is a wonderful book about nature's little critters, mostly birds, that frequented one naturalists homestead in Ohio. Julie writes from the heart and her sketches that accompany her stories are just delightful. She starts with stories from winter, then spring, summer, and ends with fall. Each story about her interaction with the wildlfie is interspersed with snippets about her young children as well. I recently read the author's latest book

My first copy of this book was a former library book that I picked-up at a book swap last year. It had a few dings and smudges and appeared to have been read several times; I glanced through it, and selected it. I found it to be a delightful collection of short stories accompanied by beautiful sketches and watercolors. Its format made it easy to read, for a just few minutes or an extended period, depending on the amount of time I had at the moment. I have enjoyed it so much, that I recently purchased a copy in better condition to keep. I wrote a short note explaining what I liked about the book, taped it to the plastic cover of my first copy, and donated it at our group's next book swap held earlier this month. I noticed someone else took that copy home.

This is a delightful book written by a great and enthustic lover of nature. Ms Zickefoose became a biologist with the Nature Conservancy. She decided to become a biologist as a young child and was encouraged by her parents to follow her dreams. She loves nature,the changing seasons and the wildlife. She is a marvelous artist, drawing scenes,different animals, but her favorite animal is the bird. There are drawings and water colors of birds of all colors, all sizes, beautiful birds, colorful birds, drab birds plus other animals. I bought this book because the Nature Conservancy highly recommended it on Public Radio. Julie Zickefoose has separated her book into the four seasons. Each season is presented into different years, different places where this biologist has worked. She tells of her interaction with birds and other animals,of watching and enjoying them. Ms Zickefoose is retired from the Nature Conservancy and has bought a large plot of land in the Appalachian mountains of southern Ohio. One story is about her bullfrog, Fergus, who she raised from a tadpool and placed in her pool until she found he was dining on her birds. He was exiled from her home. This one of her many stories about her animal friends. All her stories are fun. Ms Zickefoose has two kids and is enjoying working her land, watching, writing about, drawing and interacting with her animal friends. The book is delightful, informative about animals,plants, trees and nature in general. I highly enjoy it and am glad I bought it. Enjoyable.

To give this book five stars is a bit risky. It has a minor flaw or two. It raises the question of what a person can do when Julie Zickefoose writes an even better book. However, this book goes straight to a bird lover's heart. Readers of Bird Watcher's Digest have long enjoyed Zickefoose's essays and paintings. This collection of essays reminds us that she is one of the best nature writers publishing today. Almost every emotion finds its way into "Letters from Eden." There is the expectation, discovery, and excitement of going with Julie on her walks through the southern Ohio forest. The walks can also provide a quiet time. There is the humor of the essay on bullfrogs or Julie poking fun at herself because she wants some chickens. There is loss as human thoughtlessness harms an animal or bird. There is tenderness as Julie, ever the rehabilitator, nurses birds and animals to the point of releasing them into the wild. There is wonder as various wild things demonstrate intelligence beyond what humans normally expect of them. Raising young children in an area where there are copperhead snakes can lend a touch of terror. That is counterbalanced by Julie's faith in all things natural. Not least among the emotions is the reader's enjoyment in these delightful narratives. Then again, there is always balance in Julie's stories. She recognizes that predators must eat, even when it means the death of a loved bird. Weedy brush from foreign soil tries to overrun everything but provides needed shelter for wildlife. House sparrows introduced from England are a threat to native species but Julie notes that it is through no fault of their own. She is a vegetable gardener who rues the damage birds and animals do to her crops, but weighs that against the benefit they gain from her garden and the joy she gets from seeing them there. Zickefoose is a mother and her young children are ever present in these essays. Again, there is a nice balance between the love of family and the fact that they cut into the time available for studying the outdoors and writing. Julie's art is a perfect complement to the essays. There are simple pencil drawings and quick watercolors. There are also some beautifully finished paintings and ink drawings. The text is very easily read, although the field notes accompanying some of the sketches are sometimes hard to make out. The thirty-some essays were originally meant to stand alone. Julie has organized them here by seasons of the year. Therein is a minor flaw. The essays do not lead into one another easily and they jump back and forth in time. Zickefoose recognizes the problem and mentions it in her Foreword. Still, it is a flaw and leaves room for an even better book - a book that gets six stars out of five.

First saw Julie's beautiful watercolors in The Nature Conservancy's magazine. As a former field biologist, she brings years of observation to her art work. Every drawing is accompanied by a story, some stories may make you sad, some may increase your understanding of the natural world and the part we play in the survival of certain species. I bought this book as a present for my bird-loving dad and couldn't resist reading it cover to cover.

There is nothing exciting or particularly dramatic about this book, but Zickefoose's gentle musings on her life in Ohio and her encounters with her fellow creatures are charming, informative and life affirming. I am not a particularly visual person, so I was captivated by her prose, not her pictures, tho' I understand she is an artist of some renown. For me, the joy was in how incredibly observant and conversant she is with the natural world. She sees what most of us would simply walk past, and further, she knows a great deal about what she sees. This is a lovely book if you are interested in reading about birds (and some other animals) and their behavior but without any specific plot line or story. These are, rather, a series of essays or unconnected stories that together form a narrative of life amidst the natural world. Her other book which revolves around her life as a song bird rehabilitator is fascinating and perhaps more cohesive because it follows a single theme. I learned a great deal from that and enjoyed it immensely. She has the ability to draw the reader in and share what she knows effortlessly.

I really love this book. Reading it is like walking through my backyard and visiting old friends. Although the book is mostly written from an Ohio perspective, I also look forward to the various bird and animal visitors we get each season here in New England. I look forward to that first sighting of a junco in Winter and the sound of the Wood frogs that herald spring. I have to read the chapter on the Grossbeak invasions to my wife since she told me stories of this happening in her childhood and her Dad also made a window feeder for them. The writing is down-to-earth and genuine with some sadness but a lot of humor and an obvious love of life. The Author's pencil sketches and watercolors are perfect. She has the ability to capture the personality of a bird or animal in a few pencil strokes that I wish I had. The book is actually smaller that I envisioned it - I didn't bother to look at the dimensions before ordering it - but I am glad since it is easier to carry and read in bed. I am only three quarters through the book, but I have a feeling I will be re-reading it a lot.

I have enjoyed reading Julie Zickefoose's articles in "Bird Watcher's Digest" for years and also liked her earlier PBS radio segments. In addition to her down to earth observations, her art work is wonderful with all the details. She is such a caring person and this book is an extension of that. It's like sitting down with a good friend!

Simply gorgeous- the words and the artwork. A real treasure.

Julie Zickefoose somehow educates and amuses simultaneously. She captures details in nature trough story telling and artistry, and makes them come alive. I especially enjoyed the chapter about Fergus the bullfrog, titled Paradise Lost. Letters From Eden makes one want to get out and explore, look, and discover the wonders of nature. For that we should all be grateful. This book is to be savored slowly, bit by bit. It is a treasure.

beautiful meditations on what matters

Emile Zola wrote, "The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work." In Julie Zickefoose?s book "Letters From Eden," you will find both. The gift shines from every page, in her glowing watercolors, in her lyrical prose, and in her obvious passion for the natural world around her. The work is evident in her field notes and pencil sketches, and in the tales she tells. The effort she exerts when protecting nesting piping plovers on a busy beach along the Connecticut coastline, climbing ladders to replace baby birds in their nests, or rehabilitating box turtles is demanding. If you would ask Julie however, she would not call this work, but a way of life, her life in the little piece of Ohio she calls Eden. Come along with her as she shares her discoveries during a walk in the woods, or celebrates spring with tree swallows playing with feathers, or grieves for an opossum found dying in a trap. From the hilarious to the tragic, with the drama of a poisonous snake thrown in, "Letters From Eden" strikes just the right chord. Anyone with an interest in nature will feel right at home with this book. I know I did.

Seldom does one person serve as both writer and illustrator of a book. Julie Zickefoose proves that she is adept at both. She paints with brush and pen (or keyboard) pictures of what life can, and should, be like if we only take the time to appreciate it. Her 80 acres seem even larger, for all that occurs on them. After reading her book it will be the rare person who will not look at the world around them more carefully and enjoy it more fully. While she is no swami, she imbues her words with magic.

When I first saw this book I felt a little bit like a kid again--and that's exactly where this book took me--Every Sunday I would go into our sun filled living room and sit down and read a chapter in Julie's book--Every one of her outdoor "Nature" experiences took me back to the unencumbered days of my childhood --seeing nature through her eyes made me feel at peace while learning more and more about the things in nature that I would have liked to understand years ago--I just wish she would write another one just like this one--Have you ever read a book you wish would never end?? This was one of them--Thank you-

Of course, what caught me was the cover. Beautiful. Brilliantly drawn. 'Bought a copy for my girlfriend for Christmas who adores nature (and her impressively beautiful yard) as much as I do (eventho my yard is teeny). Well, when I got the book, it looked SO DARN good, I had to have my own. What a wonderful Christmas present to myself. Loved it. Incredible. Going into the New Year, I felt renewed and joyful as I read this book - thank you Julie! I loved all of her stories and appreciated her knowledge. Julie writes and draws with grace. I suspect she is also a wonderful wife and mother - and I am so proud that she is a woman to admire. Great book.

Julie Zickefoose is a multi-talented mother of two children (and a wonderful Boston Terrier we know as "Chet Baker"), wife, artist, writer, singer, and friend. Letters From Eden will move you. I savored every word and keep it displayed in my home. Often, I'll re-read a chapter for sheer pleasure. Her writing style is soft, humorous, and will make you laugh and cry in the reading of one page. Her love of nature is evident in her writings, spoken with her heart. Beautiful, in every way. A true gift.

Julie Zickerfoose is a talented lover of Nature, an acomplished artist and a fine teller of stories. She lives her life immersed in what she loves and has a sense of all that is aroud her on this our beautiful Earth. Her storeis are entertaining and delightful. Water colors are precious. This is a work of art to be enjoyed by all who love Nature and the lessons it has to teach us. A good book to share with children of all ages.

The stories in Letters from Eden are a shimmering blend of humor and heartbreak as the author shares the gifts, loss and lessons that come from an intimate relationship with nature. I find myself savoring each story and taking time to digest each one. The writing is exquisite, the field drawings are a treat, and the watercolors express the vibrancy of the life they portray. I love this book!

Excellent - well-written, thoughtful, generous. This is a book we will keep as long as we can read. The end of the review.

My first copy of this book was a former library book that I picked-up at a book swap last year. It had a few dings and smudges and appeared to have been read several times; I glanced through it, and selected it. I found it to be a delightful collection of short stories accompanied by beautiful sketches and watercolors. Its format made it easy to read, for a just few minutes or an extended period, depending on the amount of time I had at the moment. I have enjoyed it so much, that I recently purchased a copy in better condition to keep. I wrote a short note explaining what I liked about the book, taped it to the plastic cover of my first copy, and donated it at our group's next book swap held earlier this month. I noticed someone else took that copy home.

This is a delightful book written by a great and enthustic lover of nature. Ms Zickefoose became a biologist with the Nature Conservancy. She decided to become a biologist as a young child and was encouraged by her parents to follow her dreams. She loves nature,the changing seasons and the wildlife. She is a marvelous artist, drawing scenes,different animals, but her favorite animal is the bird. There are drawings and water colors of birds of all colors, all sizes, beautiful birds, colorful birds, drab birds plus other animals. I bought this book because the Nature Conservancy highly recommended it on Public Radio. Julie Zickefoose has separated her book into the four seasons. Each season is presented into different years, different places where this biologist has worked. She tells of her interaction with birds and other animals,of watching and enjoying them. Ms Zickefoose is retired from the Nature Conservancy and has bought a large plot of land in the Appalachian mountains of southern Ohio. One story is about her bullfrog, Fergus, who she raised from a tadpool and placed in her pool until she found he was dining on her birds. He was exiled from her home. This one of her many stories about her animal friends. All her stories are fun. Ms Zickefoose has two kids and is enjoying working her land, watching, writing about, drawing and interacting with her animal friends. The book is delightful, informative about animals,plants, trees and nature in general. I highly enjoy it and am glad I bought it. Enjoyable.

To give this book five stars is a bit risky. It has a minor flaw or two. It raises the question of what a person can do when Julie Zickefoose writes an even better book. However, this book goes straight to a bird lover's heart. Readers of Bird Watcher's Digest have long enjoyed Zickefoose's essays and paintings. This collection of essays reminds us that she is one of the best nature writers publishing today. Almost every emotion finds its way into "Letters from Eden." There is the expectation, discovery, and excitement of going with Julie on her walks through the southern Ohio forest. The walks can also provide a quiet time. There is the humor of the essay on bullfrogs or Julie poking fun at herself because she wants some chickens. There is loss as human thoughtlessness harms an animal or bird. There is tenderness as Julie, ever the rehabilitator, nurses birds and animals to the point of releasing them into the wild. There is wonder as various wild things demonstrate intelligence beyond what humans normally expect of them. Raising young children in an area where there are copperhead snakes can lend a touch of terror. That is counterbalanced by Julie's faith in all things natural. Not least among the emotions is the reader's enjoyment in these delightful narratives. Then again, there is always balance in Julie's stories. She recognizes that predators must eat, even when it means the death of a loved bird. Weedy brush from foreign soil tries to overrun everything but provides needed shelter for wildlife. House sparrows introduced from England are a threat to native species but Julie notes that it is through no fault of their own. She is a vegetable gardener who rues the damage birds and animals do to her crops, but weighs that against the benefit they gain from her garden and the joy she gets from seeing them there. Zickefoose is a mother and her young children are ever present in these essays. Again, there is a nice balance between the love of family and the fact that they cut into the time available for studying the outdoors and writing. Julie's art is a perfect complement to the essays. There are simple pencil drawings and quick watercolors. There are also some beautifully finished paintings and ink drawings. The text is very easily read, although the field notes accompanying some of the sketches are sometimes hard to make out. The thirty-some essays were originally meant to stand alone. Julie has organized them here by seasons of the year. Therein is a minor flaw. The essays do not lead into one another easily and they jump back and forth in time. Zickefoose recognizes the problem and mentions it in her Foreword. Still, it is a flaw and leaves room for an even better book - a book that gets six stars out of five.

First saw Julie's beautiful watercolors in The Nature Conservancy's magazine. As a former field biologist, she brings years of observation to her art work. Every drawing is accompanied by a story, some stories may make you sad, some may increase your understanding of the natural world and the part we play in the survival of certain species. I bought this book as a present for my bird-loving dad and couldn't resist reading it cover to cover.

There is nothing exciting or particularly dramatic about this book, but Zickefoose's gentle musings on her life in Ohio and her encounters with her fellow creatures are charming, informative and life affirming. I am not a particularly visual person, so I was captivated by her prose, not her pictures, tho' I understand she is an artist of some renown. For me, the joy was in how incredibly observant and conversant she is with the natural world. She sees what most of us would simply walk past, and further, she knows a great deal about what she sees. This is a lovely book if you are interested in reading about birds (and some other animals) and their behavior but without any specific plot line or story. These are, rather, a series of essays or unconnected stories that together form a narrative of life amidst the natural world. Her other book which revolves around her life as a song bird rehabilitator is fascinating and perhaps more cohesive because it follows a single theme. I learned a great deal from that and enjoyed it immensely. She has the ability to draw the reader in and share what she knows effortlessly.

I really love this book. Reading it is like walking through my backyard and visiting old friends. Although the book is mostly written from an Ohio perspective, I also look forward to the various bird and animal visitors we get each season here in New England. I look forward to that first sighting of a junco in Winter and the sound of the Wood frogs that herald spring. I have to read the chapter on the Grossbeak invasions to my wife since she told me stories of this happening in her childhood and her Dad also made a window feeder for them. The writing is down-to-earth and genuine with some sadness but a lot of humor and an obvious love of life. The Author's pencil sketches and watercolors are perfect. She has the ability to capture the personality of a bird or animal in a few pencil strokes that I wish I had. The book is actually smaller that I envisioned it - I didn't bother to look at the dimensions before ordering it - but I am glad since it is easier to carry and read in bed. I am only three quarters through the book, but I have a feeling I will be re-reading it a lot.

I have enjoyed reading Julie Zickefoose's articles in "Bird Watcher's Digest" for years and also liked her earlier PBS radio segments. In addition to her down to earth observations, her art work is wonderful with all the details. She is such a caring person and this book is an extension of that. It's like sitting down with a good friend!

Simply gorgeous- the words and the artwork. A real treasure.

Julie Zickefoose somehow educates and amuses simultaneously. She captures details in nature trough story telling and artistry, and makes them come alive. I especially enjoyed the chapter about Fergus the bullfrog, titled Paradise Lost. Letters From Eden makes one want to get out and explore, look, and discover the wonders of nature. For that we should all be grateful. This book is to be savored slowly, bit by bit. It is a treasure.

beautiful meditations on what matters