Five Books For Spring that Celebrate Nature
I love reading books set in the current season and especially those that evoke that season well. Last year I put together a list of five books that felt like springtime either because they were set in that season or they evoked a sense of new life and new beginnings. This list is a little different, because with the exception of The Wind in the Willows, these are mostly pure nature writing and memoir, and they all take place in England and Scotland. Without further adieu…
The Nature of Spring by Jim Crumley
This book is part of a quartet of seasonal books written by a Scottish nature writer. Slow and quiet, it makes me want to sit in the woods and watch the flowers and animals of the Scottish coast and Highlands wake up. You can listen to the author on The Slightly Foxed podcast.
The Wind in the Willows* by Kenneth Grahame
This delightful book moves through all the seasons and describes them all so beautifully, but Mole’s adventures begin in spring when all the new life and growing things make him climb out of his dark hole where he meets Ratty. The rest is history. I think this would make a great read-aloud with kids, and when you’re finished, watch the 1949 Disney animated short.
The Shepherd’s Life: A Tale of the Lake District* by James Rebanks
After living in North Yorkshire for three springs, my thoughts turn to lambs skipping in the fields this time of year. James Rebanks tells his story of being born into a farming family in England’s Lake District. He’s passionate about working the land in a way that is good for people and good for the environment.
Tarka the Otter* by Henry Williamson
This is a book completely off the beaten path for me that I learned about listening to The Slightly Foxed podcast. (They specialize in introducing you to those kind of books.) If you like English nature writing, this book takes you inside the mind of an otter as he learns to swim and hunt from his mother, strikes off on his own, evading hunters and finding a mate. It’s a very realistic look at animals as they hunt and are hunted. This 1927 book is credited with changing a lot of the public mind from thinking of otters only as vermin to be killed indiscriminately.
Walking through Spring by Graham Hoyland
Graham Hoyland was the 15th Briton to climb Mount Everest, but this is a much more gentle journey beginning in the south of England on the first day of spring, walking all the way to the Scottish border by June 21. It’s a nice read if you’re familiar with the English countryside in spring. I enjoyed hearing places I’d been described.
Do you enjoy reading seasonally? What are your favorite books to read in the springtime? I’m keen to find some Alabama nature writers now that I’m back in the southeastern United States.
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