A Cape Cod Notebook by Robert Finch

by Robert Finch

A collection of more than 50 exquisitely crafted radio essays, these short but poetic gems celebrate unique aspects of life on Cape Cod, especially the relationship between humanity and the natural world. Entranced by the islandthat have the power to immediately connect the reader with the natural world of this region and that speak to the mysterious qualities of this peninsula that have drawn people to it for centuries.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published April 1, 2011

About the author

Robert Finch has lived on and written about Cape Cod for forty years. He is the author of six collections of essays and co-editor of The Norton Book of Nature Writing.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this little book. Short reflections I could read just before bed when I was too tired for something more. Loved the ones that talk about the natural wonders of the cape and outer cape living, but I also enjoyed those that are not geographic specific -
introspective - it felt like the equivalent of a nightly meditation...

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this little book! It brings me right back to the Cape - season by season, and observation by observation.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in a few hours this afternoon. As someone who vacations on the Cape every summer, I could clearly “see” what he was writing about. I timed myself reading a few stories, and it took about 1.30-2 minutes to read one, if anyone’s curious. Also, it seems like he encountered (and handled) a rather unsettling number of dead seabirds. A little odd, but ah well.

[A · Rating 1 out of 5]

I almost didn't finish it. By August, I almost gave up. It's mostly a book about birds, death, endings, or near endings (suicide and failing diners) and a torturous story about dogfish. It's a slow, self-examinatory, and analogous story about senior adulthood and coming close to the end (whether the author realizes it or not). I think he was depressed when he wrote this.

[Desiree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing about nature and a locale - The Cape - at its best.

[Gwyneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet book about nature and life on the Cape.

[Kristin Shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful collection of Cape essays. Would love to hear them as they were originally read on the local NPR station.