The Face of the Fields

Step into the fields, woods, and marshes of early twentieth-century New England with one of America's most graceful nature writers. In this collection of nine essays, Dallas Lore Sharp turns his naturalist's eye on the small, often-overlooked dramas of the countryside: a hawk's raid on a flock of birds, a night spent hunting for turtle eggs, the mysterious vanishing of the local skunks, a clam farm exposed by the tide, and the hush that falls over the land at dusk. Blending close observation with warm, reflective prose, Sharp captures the rhythm of the changing seasons and the quiet wonder of rural life—while a tribute to his friend and fellow naturalist John Burroughs offers a glimpse into the roots of American nature writing itself. First published in 1911 and drawn largely from his essays in The Atlantic Monthly, The Face of the Fields remains a gentle, keenly observed invitation to slow down and truly look at the world just outside the window.