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Closer to the Ground: An Outdoor Family's Year on the Water, In the Woods and at the Table
The deeply personal story of a father learning to share his love of nature with his children, not through the indoor lens of words or pictures, but directly, palpably, by exploring the natural world as they forage, cook and eat from the woods and sea. With illustrations by Nikki McClure.
This compelling, masterfully written tale follows Dylan Tomine and his family through four seasons as they hunt chanterelles, fish for salmon, dig clams and gather at the kitchen table, mouths watering, to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Closer to the Ground captures the beauty and surprise of the natural world — and the ways it teaches us how to live — with humor, gratitude and a nose for adventure as keen as a child’s. It is a book filled with weather, natural history and many delicious meals.
This compelling, masterfully written tale follows Dylan Tomine and his family through four seasons as they hunt chanterelles, fish for salmon, dig clams and gather at the kitchen table, mouths watering, to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Closer to the Ground captures the beauty and surprise of the natural world — and the ways it teaches us how to live — with humor, gratitude and a nose for adventure as keen as a child’s. It is a book filled with weather, natural history and many delicious meals.
264 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 2012
64 people are currently reading
1582 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
April 29, 2016
Warning: Not a 5 star for every reader - must be into nature, but not too into nature, must be examining life, but not too deeply, must like seafood and must have some interest in fishing. If you qualify, this lighthearted yet sentimental book about family, our duties as stewards of the environment, our shared memories, and ultimately about how we chose to live our lives is a must read. I'd write more but I'm inspired by this book to abandon the computer and get out there!
October 15, 2025
5⭐️ lighthearted, contemplative, sentimental reflections on life in Puget Sound and I couldn’t be more jealous because this family might not be rich in money but they are richer than most
September 25, 2019
I had no idea I'd enjoy this book as much as I did. The writing is relaxed, quiet, contemplative, self-effacing, and at times pretty funny. The author lives on Bainbridge Island where he and his family get a lot of their food from fishing, foraging and hunting. With two young children along for the ride (sometimes leading the way), he tells tales of digging for clams in wild winter weather, hunting through the undergrowth for chanterelles, getting firewood from downed trees in neighbors yards (some of the biggest laughs come from these - the awkwardness of agreeing to take a fallen tree off his neighbor's hands and then finding it's way more work than it's worth.) Interwoven with these stories are thoughtful observations on the history and current state of Puget Sound.
When I discovered that "the island" the author lived on was Bainbridge, I admit I expected it was going to be some yuppie dabbling with a year of living off the land, just to go right back to the way they were. But the guy is the real deal - he has a background as a fishing guide, and has a love of fishing and living closer to the natural world that really shines through, as well as a deep affinity for fresh seafood that comes from his Japanese family. As a fellow parent, I appreciated his humility and his patience as he brings his kids on the journey, recognizing that it's the journey that becomes the goal.
When I discovered that "the island" the author lived on was Bainbridge, I admit I expected it was going to be some yuppie dabbling with a year of living off the land, just to go right back to the way they were. But the guy is the real deal - he has a background as a fishing guide, and has a love of fishing and living closer to the natural world that really shines through, as well as a deep affinity for fresh seafood that comes from his Japanese family. As a fellow parent, I appreciated his humility and his patience as he brings his kids on the journey, recognizing that it's the journey that becomes the goal.
February 13, 2015
Wonderful little book! The author's attitudes and love for his family and the Puget Sound, introducing his children to nature, fishing, gardening and foraging resonates deeply with me.
August 9, 2022
I can’t help but dream about the author’s idyllic life on an island in Puget Sound living partially off the land and sea and doing that living so close to his own home, yet I know it’s far from a fantasy. I don’t live this way at all though would love to get closer to it but I know there are so many difficulties in trying to do so. It’s a battle, like the author describes, of being responsible yet financially savy, of using the land to meet your needs yet knowing that in using the land (or sea) you’re also helping destroy it in some ways, and on and on.
Loved seeing the way he raises his kids by including them in everything even when the environments are harsh or dirty or in doing certain things it makes his own life more difficult. Kids have a way of making a mundane or dreaded task become fun. It often takes kids and their pure joy to remind us that the journey to the end goal is oftentimes the whole point of setting out to achieve the goal…whether we realize it or not.
Loved seeing the way he raises his kids by including them in everything even when the environments are harsh or dirty or in doing certain things it makes his own life more difficult. Kids have a way of making a mundane or dreaded task become fun. It often takes kids and their pure joy to remind us that the journey to the end goal is oftentimes the whole point of setting out to achieve the goal…whether we realize it or not.
September 2, 2024
This book made me realize it would be possible to have children and still live a life connected to nature. It stresses the importance of raising children with an understanding of connection to everything, without doing so in a condescending/forceful way that I’ve seen other authors try to do. The author can come off as kind of a dick, but he seems self aware and I think it’s a classic case of an artist who is incredibly passionate about his craft. His writing is absolutely beautiful.
September 25, 2021
Strašne nudná kniha. Teda pokiaľ ju nečíta rybár alebo milovník jedla. Lebo toto je 240 strán opisu ako chlap chodí so svojími deťmi na ryby, varí a žerie.
September 4, 2023
Very easy and sweet read. Makes me wanna get back out in nature and also sad I didn’t ever go fishing with my dad in middle school
October 7, 2024
Super engaging, beautiful photos. Made me text friends about planning a PNW trip. It’d be fun to read through the season chapters when the seasons change irl. The firewood chapters really brought me back to my childhood, splitting and stacking wood
December 21, 2020
As a relatively new father and a person who loves to be outside, this book resonated on many levels. The repeated lesson in spending time with kids: for them, it’s about simply spending the time together, not how many clams you dig or fish you catch. The harried nature of getting outside when kids are involved. And most of all the many little moments that get snapped as mental photographs when you’re sharing experiences together.
This book showed me a future in the outdoors I hope we can create a version of in our family.
This book showed me a future in the outdoors I hope we can create a version of in our family.
November 13, 2012
Closer to the Ground is a book by Dylan Tomine about his family - not only their experiences, but their way of life. When the pitch to review came in to New Age Mama, I asked for it because the intro sounded a lot like my family. It covers a year in the life with all sorts of outdoor experiences - salmon fishing, crabbing, digging for oysters, mushroom hunting, deer hunting, gardening, procuring firewood, harvesting, storing, and eating the bounty . . . how they manage it all together as a family.
At first I admit I thought it a bit wordy; I laughed as I commented it's like there's 2 adjectives for every single noun! But, that is kind of the point - too often society no longer notices the beauty around us, we are so busy with the mundane details of our everyday lives that it's easy to forget nature is out there, waiting for us to explore it yet preserving it for future generations. A few chapters into it, it didn't seem wordy anymore, and I was asking myself why the F WE don't live there: near the ocean digging clams, out on the water setting crab pots . . . We do enjoy some of the same activites here though - gardening, fishing, hunting, and wild crafting. In case you are unfamiliar with the term, wild crafting is the harvesting plants in their natural habitat for food or medicine. I like to call it mushroom hunting. Or asparagus hunting. Or berry hunting. Or whatever I'm trying to find!
Later I really began to appreciate the descriptiveness as Dylan doesn't hesitate to share tried and tested brands of gear, and what is best suited to what. It's not advertising, it's speaking from experience. We've been wanting to install a wood stove and I'm taking tips!
Overall I think my favorite aspect of the book is how involved his family is in their way of life. I loved reading the experiences of the kids out on the water and in the woods as that is what we do, and will continue to do with our son. The closer to the end of the book, the more I wished there was of it to read. I hope that our experiences, too, make memories that our son will remember for the rest of his life.
Don't just take the time - make the time; have fun and get dirty: get Closer to the Ground.
***REVIEWED BY ANNE FOR NEW AGE MAMA****
At first I admit I thought it a bit wordy; I laughed as I commented it's like there's 2 adjectives for every single noun! But, that is kind of the point - too often society no longer notices the beauty around us, we are so busy with the mundane details of our everyday lives that it's easy to forget nature is out there, waiting for us to explore it yet preserving it for future generations. A few chapters into it, it didn't seem wordy anymore, and I was asking myself why the F WE don't live there: near the ocean digging clams, out on the water setting crab pots . . . We do enjoy some of the same activites here though - gardening, fishing, hunting, and wild crafting. In case you are unfamiliar with the term, wild crafting is the harvesting plants in their natural habitat for food or medicine. I like to call it mushroom hunting. Or asparagus hunting. Or berry hunting. Or whatever I'm trying to find!
Later I really began to appreciate the descriptiveness as Dylan doesn't hesitate to share tried and tested brands of gear, and what is best suited to what. It's not advertising, it's speaking from experience. We've been wanting to install a wood stove and I'm taking tips!
Overall I think my favorite aspect of the book is how involved his family is in their way of life. I loved reading the experiences of the kids out on the water and in the woods as that is what we do, and will continue to do with our son. The closer to the end of the book, the more I wished there was of it to read. I hope that our experiences, too, make memories that our son will remember for the rest of his life.
Don't just take the time - make the time; have fun and get dirty: get Closer to the Ground.
***REVIEWED BY ANNE FOR NEW AGE MAMA****
November 12, 2012
CLOSER TO THE GROUND by Dylan Tomine is a wonderful memoir. It is written with depth,description and heart. "An outdoor family's year on the water,in the woods and at the table." Mr. Tomine gave up his career to show his children his love of hunting,fishing,humor,adventure,and eating. His love of the sea,nature,and woods shows through on every page. A compelling and complex tale of a family through the seasons.A must for fathers,grandfathers and mother alike,who enjoy hunting,fishing and the great outdoors and would share their love of nature with their loved ones. Written from the heart for all of us to enjoy. A great story to share.Received for an honest review from the author/publisher.Details can be found at the author's website,Patagonia Books and My Book Addiction and More.
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: NONE(MEMOIR)
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, My Book Addiction and More/My Book Addiction Reviews
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: NONE(MEMOIR)
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, My Book Addiction and More/My Book Addiction Reviews
October 13, 2014
Usually when I read a book with a strong sense of place, it leads at least to a Google search on the locale in an effort to find out more. With this memoir there was no need; I'm lucky enough to already be in the Pacific Northwest. In a memoir told from the water, from the beach and from the woods, the author is ever in pursuit of food that requires catching or finding, while his children determinedly join in. Dylan Tomine's passion for the outdoors and the natural world is surpassed only by the love for his family life that shows in every chapter. Descriptive in a way that makes the reader feel the biting cold of a clam dig during a rainstorm, and crave the foods cooked and served through the seasons, the book is an homage to the activities and natural resources of the Northwest, and a lesson in the self reliance and competence children can learn on outdoor adventures.
Read
February 8, 2013Beautiful. This book resonated with me on so many levels. I think this is one to add to the home library, despite the overcrowding.
July 16, 2022
It's a book about sharing with nature and learning how we can balance our lives in the ecosystem that we have. We don't need that much, the planet already provides everything we need. Also it's a book about memories, and how the best ones are almost always related to nature and being outside.
I must comment that at some points the read was a little slow. But, all in all a nice book to read. Really Patagonia style.
Favorite quotes:
1. "learn to live with the things that really matter, the eternal things about the earth, and about each other".
2. "brings up some interesting questions. How much information should anyone share? Where is the fine line between selfishness and necessary secrecy drawn? In this age of population growth and limited natural resources, unspoiled places are a precious commodity".
3."He goes out of his way to be kind to Skyla and Weston, and they both look forward to time aboard his boat. And he does share his accumulated knowledge freely with at least one fool: me. It’s humbling to admit that someone young enough to be my offspring is, in fact, my mentor, but there you have it".
4. "You can never have enough firewood". (I love this one)
I must comment that at some points the read was a little slow. But, all in all a nice book to read. Really Patagonia style.
Favorite quotes:
1. "learn to live with the things that really matter, the eternal things about the earth, and about each other".
2. "brings up some interesting questions. How much information should anyone share? Where is the fine line between selfishness and necessary secrecy drawn? In this age of population growth and limited natural resources, unspoiled places are a precious commodity".
3."He goes out of his way to be kind to Skyla and Weston, and they both look forward to time aboard his boat. And he does share his accumulated knowledge freely with at least one fool: me. It’s humbling to admit that someone young enough to be my offspring is, in fact, my mentor, but there you have it".
4. "You can never have enough firewood". (I love this one)
January 29, 2023
I started out with an audio version of Closer to the Ground: An Outdoor Family's Year on the Water, in the Woods and at the Table, but switched over to an ebook version because of the enchanting, clear and compelling photographs that accompanied the sorted-by-season read this author provides of his family's life on an island in the Puget Sound.
A PNWer myself, the pictures are of home, and all the rain, yeah. Home. That's about as far as I can truly relate, as suburbia is my niche. But, oh, if I could, I would live on the edge of the world as this family does. On the edge of the forest, of the water, of the ocean. . .living off the land in a big way.
Dylan Tomine and his wife Stacy, are full of the kind of can-do spirit that takes their real life out there, having babies out there, and learning about a different way to approach family life. The combination of good writing, personal photographs and recipes to try, all in seasonal layouts would make this an entertaining book to keep around and read in a seasonal rotation.
Totally enjoyed this read.
A PNWer myself, the pictures are of home, and all the rain, yeah. Home. That's about as far as I can truly relate, as suburbia is my niche. But, oh, if I could, I would live on the edge of the world as this family does. On the edge of the forest, of the water, of the ocean. . .living off the land in a big way.
Dylan Tomine and his wife Stacy, are full of the kind of can-do spirit that takes their real life out there, having babies out there, and learning about a different way to approach family life. The combination of good writing, personal photographs and recipes to try, all in seasonal layouts would make this an entertaining book to keep around and read in a seasonal rotation.
Totally enjoyed this read.
March 15, 2022
Reading books by people who are parents is fraught with the temptation of comparison, but Tomine was self-deprecating enough that I could sit back and let him parent his way and me mine. The book isn't actually about parenting anyway, as much as it is about fishing, chopping wood, and being outside. He sprinkles the stories with reminders about how we are destroying what he loves, but there is neither shame nor helplessness, there is hope we can change. Will we? Time will tell.
July 11, 2024
Inspired. While it is noble to want to make big changes in your life to better your situation and environment for your family to live and thrive, it is not always possible. Not to fret. This family has done what they can to become closer to sustainable living and rejoicing in the journey along the way. Small steps to get "closer to the ground" can be as life reaffirming as large ones, knowing that you are going in the right direction.
March 24, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyed the imagery and heart of this story. I found myself reflecting on my own childhood and the childhood I’m trying to give my children. I’m envious of much of the life Tomine lives, but mostly thankful for the inspiration to share more similar experiences with my family...and maybe share a clam dig with his someday.
March 27, 2020
Arm-chair fishing and wood gathering. A wonderful memoir about fatherhood and being thoughtful about the childhood we curate for our kids. An absorbing how-to on learning a life of hard work and bounty on Puget Sound. This book made me want to do a little more. Do more wood splitting, do more learning about the Seattle area, do more adventures in this great area of ours.
October 17, 2021
This book brought me back to my childhood in the PNW. My dad and I went on many similar adventures. In a similar vein to Timothy Egan’s “Good Rain” Tomine captures the essence of connecting with nature in the PNW and describing our annual calendar of chasing local delicacies. It is also a great family and parenting story. Nice work Dylan!
June 26, 2025
Living in the PNW and experiencing so much of what he described in my own daily life made me enjoy parts of this book so much. The emphasis and amount of pages spent on fishing, however, was not my favorite. I loved learning about different kinds of firewood and why some are superior to others. Overall, an enjoyable read.
July 17, 2017
Didn't finish in time for book discussion last year and was never engaged enough to return to finish the read, became a bit redundant after the first several chapters. Added to my "given up on" book shelf.
July 14, 2018
This book is written in a way that reminds me of sitting on a screen porch, over looking the ocean, and hearing stories of back in the back from your dad. Not a bad read at all. This book makes me want to go live a simply life off the coast of WA.
December 10, 2018
Food writing, but not about recipes. Ecology writing, but without science or prescriptions. Writing about fishing that is exciting and appealing to someone who last, and first, fished 30 years ago. Tender, poetic, delicious, and mouth watering.
May 12, 2021
It was a nice read about an area I know well, Bainbridge Island and the waters that surround it. I wish the author spent less time agonizing over his environmental impact and more time enjoying the blessings of this beautiful area. Still an enjoyable read.
August 14, 2021
One of my favourite books of the year - weaving together the beauty of a simple life with the wonder of nature and the value of family. A truly heartwarming read that has been so fitting for a week off work.
September 12, 2023
One of my favourite go to books for lessons on growing up on the Pacific Northwest coast and carving family traditions from a simpler time. It really describes the feeling of being ‘closer to the ground’. Highly suggest!
January 12, 2025
This book is an incredibly intimate look into a family’s outdoor exploits in the Puget Sound. Recipes mingle with stories for each season in the sound, and you’ll want to forage in your backyard after you’ve finished.
July 6, 2018
Absolutely loved this book. Beautifully written and inspiring.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews