Edward Abbey’s postcards and letters, legendary during his lifetime, convey the fullness of this singular writer and reveal a tender side seldom seen before. This collection is an awe-inspiring introduction for readers new to Abbey—and for devoted fans, a chronicle of his evolution as an authentic American voice in the wilderness.
This timely collection—featuring essays from Wendell Berry, Alison Hawthorne Deming, Bill McKibben, and Rebecca Solnit, among others—challenges the division of human society from the natural world that has often characterized traditional environmentalism. These essays are required reading for anyone interested in a livable future for the planet.
Barry Lopez is an essayist, author, and short story writer, and has traveled extensively in both remote and populated parts of the world. He is the author of Arctic Dreams, winner of the National Book Award; Of Wolves and Men, a National Book Award finalist, and numerous other works of fiction and nonfiction.
In this modern classic, the charges of a young Sioux woman force David Hayden’s father, the sheriff of their small town, to confront his older brother, a charming war hero and respected doctor. This novel is an astonishing tale of love and courage, asking what it means to make the terrible choice between family loyalty and justice.
Having no place to play in their run-down inner city neighborhood, Arturo and his sixth-grade class decide to turn a vacant lot into a playground. At first Arturo thinks his idea might be foolish. With their somewhat loopy teacher’s help, however, the kids begin to build community support for the park.
This collection is set in the fictional African American community of Rio Seco, loosely based on Riverside, California. Full of defiance and tenderness, these linked stories chronicle the happiness and tragedies that the town’s residents—like Nacho, the art student/janitor, or the boom box–carrying Shawan—encounter while struggling through life and self-definition.
When Libby winds up raising her younger sister’s daughter, she sets out to give baby Amber the childhood she never had. But then Libby—who is only twenty-two—loses her job, and Amber’s father shows up with a custody claim. With spirit and a kind of awkward grace, Libby learns that love and support, more than blood, are what truly define a family.
Journey of a Thousand Miles Through Baja California, the Other Mexico
By
C.M. Mayo
Baja California is a place where nothing is as it seems. As mindful of the peninsula’s history of conquest and exploitation as it is receptive to the extraordinary characters who are drawn to it—from daredevil aviators to expatriate artists, and from hawkers of plastic Virgins to corrupt modern politicos—this book offers a deep reading of this endlessly fascinating place.
It is 1993 and Bombay is threatened by terrorism and sectarian strife. Chamdi has rarely ventured outside his orphanage, and entertains an idyllic fantasy of what the city is like beyond its garden walls—a paradise he calls Kahunsha. But when he runs away to search for his long-lost father, he finds himself thrust into the chaos of the streets, alone.
