Friday 19 February 2016

Spring: An Anthology for the Changing Seasons - Melissa Harrison



It is a time of awakening. In our fields, hedgerows and woodlands, our beaches, cities and parks, an almost imperceptible shift soon becomes a riot of sound and colour: winter ends, and life surges forth once more. Whether in town or country, we all share in this natural rhythm, in the joy and anticipation of the changing year.

In prose and poetry both old and new, Spring mirrors the unfolding of the season, inviting us to see what's around us with new eyes. Featuring original writing by Rob Cowen, Miriam Darlington and Stephen Moss, classic extracts from the work of George Orwell, Clare Leighton and H. E. Bates, and fresh new voices from across the UK, this is an original and inspiring collection of nature writing that brings the British springtime to life in all its vivid glory.

What did I think?

The cover of this book is absolutely striking in vibrant tones of green, perfectly evoking thoughts of spring, and I couldn't wait to look inside.  It is so full of life with the tweeting of birds, gambolling of lambs, slithering of snakes and not forgetting the escapades of Timothy the tortoise.  As the season unfurls throughout each page it epitomises the season of spring with the joy and hope of new beginnings.

There are excerpts from the classics interspersed with modern writing from naturalists and nature writers.  One minute you are reading a passage from Jane Eyre or Under Milk Wood and the next you are reading observations of a season unfolding within one day as the writer travels from North to South of our beautiful country.

On some of the older pieces, I was quite surprised to see the date it was written.  They certainly didn’t give their age away which is testament to how wonderfully each passage has been selected for inclusion in this book.  As an added bonus, it is published in conjunction with The Wildlife Trusts, raising funds for trusts across the UK.

Full of perfectly mixed passages of the wonders of nature, this is a book I will turn to each year as the vivacious season of spring approaches.  

I received this book from the publisher, Elliott & Thompson, in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:




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