Hanlon’s observations are as gently propulsive as the rhythmic stroke of a swim fin.
A fluently rendered ode to tidal creeks and salt marshes and to a life in their embrace.
In this celebration of the Great Marsh, New England’s largest remaining continuous stretch of salt marsh, painter and writer Hanlon melds the sensibilities of a Southern California childhood with those of a 40-year resident of coastal Massachusetts. She also compares this complex ecosystem to those of the vastly larger Mississippi Delta and a Bahamian reef. Science is a key element in the book, but the narrative is viewed best as an account of the experience of four seasons of immersion in the flora, fauna, and tides of extensively protected marsh. Her realm may at times be turbid, but her prose is clear—graceful in its descriptive power though allowing for the occasional tributary into lyricism. The first half of the book is about exploring the same landscape repeatedly year-round, accreting knowledge of an estuary: its cycles, processes, and patterns. Hanlon provides a biologic (and microbiologic) cross section of the salt marsh habitat, the grasses that fortify it, and the fauna that subsist on its largesse. In the second half, the author reflects a need to understand “something of our current cultural and evolutionary moment, with both its tragedies and its possibilities.” Hanlon understands how our moral imagination exerts a profound influence on our thoughts, attitudes, and actions, and her various warnings on the rising threats facing vital marshlands nationwide are no less important for being familiar. Also coursing through this tale are the currents of her marriage and shared passions with her husband, also an artist, with asides on their custom wood furniture business, children, and grandchildren. Readers not especially enamored of the idea of swimming in tidal creeks and rivers day after day may find portions of the book a bit monotonous—but not if they appreciate the theme of deep human integration in the natural world.
Hanlon’s observations are as gently propulsive as the rhythmic stroke of a swim fin.Pub Date: June 8, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-942658-87-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Bellevue Literary Press
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
Basketball fans will enjoy Pippen’s bird’s-eye view of some of the sport’s greatest contests.
The Chicago Bulls stalwart tells all—and then some.
Hall of Famer Pippen opens with a long complaint: Yes, he’s a legend, but he got short shrift in the ESPN documentary about Michael Jordan and the Bulls, The Last Dance. Given that Jordan emerges as someone not quite friend enough to qualify as a frenemy, even though teammates for many years, the maltreatment is understandable. This book, Pippen allows, is his retort to a man who “was determined to prove to the current generation of fans that he was larger-than-life during his day—and still larger than LeBron James, the player many consider his equal, if not superior.” Coming from a hardscrabble little town in Arkansas and playing for a small college, Pippen enjoyed an unlikely rise to NBA stardom. He played alongside and against some of the greats, of whom he writes appreciatively (even Jordan). Readers will gain insight into the lives of characters such as Dennis Rodman, who “possessed an unbelievable basketball IQ,” and into the behind-the-scenes work that led to the Bulls dynasty, which ended only because, Pippen charges, the team’s management was so inept. Looking back on his early years, Pippen advocates paying college athletes. “Don’t give me any of that holier-than-thou student-athlete nonsense,” he writes. “These young men—and women—are athletes first, not students, and make up the labor that generates fortunes for their schools. They are, for lack of a better term, slaves.” The author also writes evenhandedly of the world outside basketball: “No matter how many championships I have won, and millions I have earned, I never forget the color of my skin and that some people in this world hate me just because of that.” Overall, the memoir is closely observed and uncommonly modest, given Pippen’s many successes, and it moves as swiftly as a playoff game.
Basketball fans will enjoy Pippen’s bird’s-eye view of some of the sport’s greatest contests.Pub Date: Nov. 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-982165-19-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2021
SEEN & HEARD
A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.
The third volume in the Elephant Whisperer series.
In this follow-up to An Elephant in My Kitchen, Malby-Anthony continues her loving portrait of the Thula Thula wildlife reserve, which she co-founded in 1998 with her late husband, South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony, who published the first book in the series, The Elephant Whisperer, in 2009. Following his death in 2012, Malby-Anthony sought to honor his legacy by continuing his vision “to create a massive conservancy in Zululand, incorporating our land and other small farms and community land into one great big game park.” At the same time, the elephants gave her “a sense of purpose and direction.” In the Zulu language, thula means quiet, and though the author consistently seeks to provide that calm to her charges, peace and tranquility are not always easy to come by at Thula Thula. In this installment, Malby-Anthony discusses many of the challenges faced by her and her staff, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. These included an aggressive, 2-ton rhino named Thabo; the profound loss felt by all upon the death of their elephant matriarch, Frankie; difficulty obtaining permits and the related risk of having to relocate or cull some of their animals; the fear of looting and fire due to civil unrest in the region; and the ongoing and potentially deadly struggles with poachers. Throughout, the author also shares many warm, lighthearted moments, demonstrating the deep bond felt among the humans and animals at the reserve and the powerful effects of the kindness of strangers. “We are all working in unity for the greater good, for the betterment of Thula Thula and all our wildlife….We are humbled by the generosity and love, both from our guests and friends, and from strangers all around the world,” writes the author. “People’s open-hearted support kept us alive in the darkest times.”
A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.Pub Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 9781250284259
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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