A subtle, powerful performance makes this science memoir heartbreakingly beautiful.
Revolutionary ecologist Simard follows up her 2021 bestseller with an equally mind-altering memoir on the restorative powers of forests. Giving a standout performance as narrator, Simard successfully weaves depictions of her adventures in the wilderness conducting scientific research with reflections on her personal and professional lives. Simard's soft, lyrical, western Canadian lilt adds rich emotional dimensions to her audiobook, in which she grapples with the difficult yet regenerative effects of death. As she witnesses the clear-cutting of nearly every old-growth forest in her beloved province, Simard faces the dispiriting losses of her mother and a brilliant colleague. Importantly, the author inspires action through vivid descriptions of her environmental activism and experiences learning the forestry practices of various Indigenous cultures.
A subtle, powerful performance makes this science memoir heartbreakingly beautiful.Pub Date: March 31, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 51 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217174287
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: April 21, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
This sure-footed author is the perfect companion for a walk in the woods.
As he did in On Trails (2016), author and narrator Moor serves as companion, guide, and information source for a novel excursion into a familiar aspect of nature—in this case, trees. Moor begins by describing a tree he climbed as a boy. As an adult, he returns to climbing trees, making note of features of the human body ideal for tree-climbing and even engaging a climbing coach. The focus of subsequent chapters ranges from bonsai to sequoias, but a significant portion of the narrative takes place within the canopy of trees. Moor isn’t a trained narrator, but he connects well, and his natural style is a key part of his appeal.
This sure-footed author is the perfect companion for a walk in the woods.Pub Date: April 7, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668169056
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
This audiobook will have listeners seeking out dark skies and twinkling stars.
Author Eaves-Egenes travels the world looking for dark skies unmarred by light pollution. It has become harder to find places where the light has not banished the dark, and there are now official “dark sky” places, which are sought-out destinations. Narrator Stephanie Cannon’s voice contains the wonder, curiosity, sadness, and even romantic love that Eaves-Egenes feels. Cannon deepens her voice for male characters and throws herself into multiple accents as the author travels to New Zealand, Ireland, England, Uzbekistan, Mount Everest, Japan, and many other places. Her approach, appropriate for fiction, feels slightly over-the-top for nonfiction. Eaves-Egenes discovers that her favorite constellation, the Pleiades, is central across cultures—it’s called Matariki in New Zealand and Subaru in Japan. And she undertakes a four-day retreat into the complete dark.
This audiobook will have listeners seeking out dark skies and twinkling stars.Pub Date: March 31, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 36 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668655498
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2026
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