A Walk through the Year

by Edwin Way Teale

Shares daily observations of nature during walks about the author's New England homestead

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction

424 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Edwin Way Teale was an American naturalist, photographer, and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer. Teale's works serve as primary source material documenting environmental conditions across North America from 1930 - 1980. He is perhaps best known for his series The American Seasons, four books documenting over 75,000 miles (121,000 km) of automobile travel across North America following the changing seasons.

Reviews

[Wendi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"As I come to these final sentences, I sit here wondering if the time will ever come when such a book as this will seem like a letter from another world. Will the richness of the natural world be overrun and more and more replaced with a plastic artificial, substitute? The threat is real. And the outcome seems to depend on the wisdom and courage and endurance of those who are on the side of life --- the original, natural life, the life of the fragile, yet strong, out-of-doors. " --- Pg. 402


"Tellurian. The word means "a dweller on the earth." Many a person lives a life span on this globe without ever really dwelling on the earth. He may come to the end of his days without ever having appreciated or understood or loved or found affinity with this green and beautiful world even in the wonder of its springtime. And he may leave this unique planet unaware of all he has missed. Anyone, it seems to me, who loves anything in nature simply and sincerely will find a measure of joy in life. And those who are the tellurians, who dwell on the earth and feel a oneness with it throughout all their lives, who know a deep emotional attachment to it --- these are bound together in a special way. Neither death nor time nor distance separate completely those who have experienced in common this close relationship with the earth on which we live. " --- Pg. 386



I think any nature lover would appreciate this book. I fell in love with it and it's now one of my favorites.

I recommend reading this book like you would a devotional (an entry a day). It's so much more enjoyable that way.

[Bibliobites Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written in journal style, with an entry for every day of the year, beginning with March 21 - the first day of spring. I began it late last year - in April, but caught up to the date and after that read the daily entry each day. It was a lovely slow way to read, and fun to see the similarities and differences between the author’s New England climate and my own southern one.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am just not that fond of the outdoors.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed mentally walking through a New England year with the author of this gentle guide to the wonders of nature. I estimate about 70 percent of his observations and musings involve birds. As I am no birder, sometimes I found myself a tad impatient with some of these descriptions. The observations on crows were always interesting, however. They are such intelligent but quirky creatures.

All in all, it’s definitely enjoyable to read this book slowly, a little at a time. That’s the best way to come away as relaxed and thoughtful as the author.

[Michael]

Excellent writing, A wonderful read.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Henry Thoreau once proposed 'a book of the seasons, each page of which should be written in its own season and out-of-doors.' A century and a quarter later Edwin Way Teale, today's foremost nature writer, has done such a book in A Walk Through the Year. Set down on the spot and in season, it is a richly varied interweaving of discoveries, reflections, original observations, remembrances, firsthand experiences and fresh insights into nature. A companion volume to Teale's A Naturalist Buys an Old Farm, it brings vividly tolife a year of days at Trail Wood, his New England homestead.

"When you come to the end of these daily walks, they will remain in your mind as sharply defined as experiences of your won. You will remember the encounters with such unusual creatures as the loneliness bird, the cold-tailed squirrel, the butterfly swallowed by a flower, the cat that went hunting with a beagle. You will recall the beauty, the strangeness, the surprises, the thoughtful digressions along the way.

"A map and a generous selection of photographs by the author illustrate the book."
~~front flap

I should have loved this book. Following the changes through the seasons is one of my favorite genres. Unfortunately, I found Mr. Teale's style cumbersome and stilted. He does examine the world around him very meticulously, and provides the reader with a wealth of detail about what he sees. As I said, it should have been a fascinating book; instead I had to force myself to wade through it. So many books written about nature and the environment are lyrical and exquisite -- this one wasn't. I forced myself to finish it, and read it a bit at a time, keeping with the seasons as they rolled by. But I was tremendously glad when March 20 rolled around -- the end of the seasonal round at Trail Wood!

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author's writing is often cheesy and boring, but I still give it three stars because I'm interested in the subject matter and because I found a hawk's feather tucked in between two of the pages.