A Thousand Mornings

by Mary Oliver

First published 2012

Mary Oliver opens her eyes to morning light across the marshlands and coastline of Provincetown, Massachusetts. She watches leaves shift on trees and studies the grace of wild animals moving through their daily routines. Dawn brings wonder to her observations as she practices the art of paying attention to small moments that others might miss. When her beloved dog Percy dies, Oliver mourns while continuing to find teachings in the natural world around her home. She discovers that patient observation reveals both the wild energy and quiet stillness that exist in nature. Through her careful attention to physical landscapes, Oliver uncovers the nature that lives within herself. Her clear vision, gentle humor, and kind approach help her explore the mysteries that fill ordinary daily experience in coastal Massachusetts.

Genres: nature, animals, poetry, biography-memoir, 21st-century

Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, lyrical

Tropes: found-family, grief

Setting: Provincetown, Massachusetts

Period: 21st-century

82 pages · Hardcover · Penguin Press

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