The Prophet of Dry Hill: Lessons From a Life in Nature
In an era when the average person moves every 3.5 years, the notion of a man living 60 years on one piece of land is as quaint and anachronistic as button-hook shoes and the Pony Express; yet that's just what the legendary naturalist John Hay did on the 50-acre Cape Cod wilderness he called home. Fellow nature writer Gessner grew up on the Cape and returned there, planning to write Hay's biography. What emerged instead is an ardent memoir of the year they spent sharing the joys, wonders, secrets, and treasures of a landscape quickly succumbing to developers' bulldozers. As they explored surf and stream, observed spawning herring and diving gannets, an abiding friendship evolved between the revered octogenarian and the man young enough to be his grandson, a relationship as benevolent, fundamental, and momentous as any other in nature. Sharing a philosophy of life and living, Gessner eloquently reacquaints readers old and new to Hay's magnificent contributions to the art of nature writing.Carol HaggasCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved