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Notes on the Landscape of Home
“If you pay attention to the land where you live, you enter into conversation with it, until it becomes a voice inside you, and some of the boundaries between you and it dissolve,” write Susan Hand Shetterly. In this collection of elegant, spare, and often passionate essays, Shetterly explores what it is to live in a Down East coastal town, and to pay attention, over time, to what it offers of land, water, wildlife, and community. She takes her cue from Henry David Thoreau and Wendell Berry, who advocate for the virtues of staying in one place, believing that as we delve deeper into the landscape of home the more we learn about the world.
As in many other places, this particular home place is in trouble. Shetterly celebrates the work of communities to restore environments their people know and love, and takes a closeup look at what is changing and what has been lost. Among her subjects are the reestablishment of the bald eagle, the reintroduction of the American turkey in Maine, and the turkey vulture’s northward trend. She also writes about shorebird migrations, the bluefin tuna and the humpback and right whales in the Gulf of Maine, counting alewives along a stream in the spring, seaweed cultivation in a bay, a forest’s rebirth, the island that gave her the imaginative space she needed, and more. She recounts how she and her neighbors kept each other company at a distance during the long months of the pandemic, and she celebrates coastal culture, its particular, deep history that anchors a person’s sense of place.
As in many other places, this particular home place is in trouble. Shetterly celebrates the work of communities to restore environments their people know and love, and takes a closeup look at what is changing and what has been lost. Among her subjects are the reestablishment of the bald eagle, the reintroduction of the American turkey in Maine, and the turkey vulture’s northward trend. She also writes about shorebird migrations, the bluefin tuna and the humpback and right whales in the Gulf of Maine, counting alewives along a stream in the spring, seaweed cultivation in a bay, a forest’s rebirth, the island that gave her the imaginative space she needed, and more. She recounts how she and her neighbors kept each other company at a distance during the long months of the pandemic, and she celebrates coastal culture, its particular, deep history that anchors a person’s sense of place.
- GenresNatureNonfiction
197 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2022
4 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Susan Hand Shetterly
14 books41 followersSusan Hand Shetterly, a former wild bird rehabilitator, has written about wildlife and wildlands for over twenty years. She is the author of the essay collection The New Year's Owl and several children's books. She was a contributing writer to the Maine Times and her pieces have appeared in Birder's World, Audubon Magazine, Yankee, and Down East. "
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 29, 2025
(Sorry, Ms Shetterly, for only 3 stars.) I'm not really the person to read this, so it's more about my taste, than your ability. Your writing is beautiful, it really is. I enjoyed seeing some new words to me, and I wish I had underlined them. They referred to things that were, more or less, flotsam and jetsam on the shore, but they were colorful (and possibly very specific). But I do NOT like poetry, so whenever she quoted from poems or even got a little flowery in her prose, she lost me. I skimmed.
I am not a naturalist; my draw to this book is that I lived in East Blue Hill, working for Alida Camp, there on Webber Cove and Morgan Bay. Sometimes I rowed Mrs. Camp's peapod out to Jed's Island with my Siamese cat. We knew about the Shetterlys who lived in Morgan Bay! This was the late 70's. I had just come. I was not looking for a simple life, a hippie life, or back to the land. My sister and I were just trying to get a job and establish ourselves here. I also then moved closer to Surry Village and my sister lives in Sedgwick now. We did hike and boat and swim, and climb Blue Hill Mountain. And now I live a bit up the road from Prospect Harbor in Machias, so there's that, too. So I bought this book mostly looking for references and places that I recognized! I always get a kick out of that.
It was hard to just sit down and read this in one go, so I would read just one essay a day. I like that format. I did wish there were dates to each essay! No dates, despite some of them having been in magazines or columns. She would say, "This year" or "a year later" and I would think: But when? Are we talking 12 years ago, or last year? Are these things still current? How long has it been? The ones about the pandemic could be pinpointed, but otherwise? Add dates to the next edition!
These are some of the topics that interested me:
Wayne Newall---despite living now about an hour each from Pleasant Point/Sipayek or Princeton and the Reservation, I know very little about the Passamaquoddy. He is inspiring! I have heard his name before, but didn't know anything about him.
I have never heard of buffleheads and am tickled by the name! It's so cute! I asked my sister, who is a birder with her husband, if she knew buffleheads. "Oh yes!" she said. "We've seen buffleheads!" Bufflehead. I just want to say it over and over. And laugh.
I was also really taken in by the essay, "At Dusk" about waiting to hear the woodcock every spring. I did like these sentences...
"We had come for the spring song and dance of the woodcock. We sat, or stood, our ears sorting out the crepuscular noises, waiting for the peculiar sound of this bird, one of spring's most tonic wake-ups." I can picture (and FEEL) this so well! The waiting and listening.
I want to hear the "peent"!!! I need to do this.
Did I read that Susan Shetterly became a wildlife rehabilitator? How fitting in view of the last essay, "The Gull" about an injured sea gull that Susan rescued as a child. I was really hoping that that essay would end differently.
And, oh my goodness! I am not enthralled with Audubon! Killing all those birds! I mean, wouldn't just one of each have been enough? Was this just a mechanical thing with him?
So I live in Machias, but I have not seen the bluefin tuna skeleton at the college, or if I did, I didn't do more than glance at it. I will make it my mission now.
And I have passed Darthia Farm on the road, but never stopped in. I certainly remember the big fire of 2012 that destroyed the barn and many of the animals, I donated to the restoration effort. It sounds like an incredible resource for new farmers (or anyone!).
And lastly, I am always fascinated by how the environment cleans and restores itself as soon as human contamination ends. Personally, I am a believer in God as a creator and I believe that he purposely set this "fix" in motion. So I find it interesting how if you restore the habitat, then the animals will come back, without human help. That's so cool. I have certainly seen the proliferation of eagles since I came to Maine! They seem nearly as common as crows. I had read about the Thames River in England, how polluted it was in the 40s and 50s and nearly all the fish and wildlife died. But when they put anti-pollution laws in place, without re-introducing any fish or birds, they just came back on their own, as the river cleansed itself. Sweet.
So, 3 stars for me, only because I only found a few things of interest to me, personally. Not because it isn't good for the right person!
I am not a naturalist; my draw to this book is that I lived in East Blue Hill, working for Alida Camp, there on Webber Cove and Morgan Bay. Sometimes I rowed Mrs. Camp's peapod out to Jed's Island with my Siamese cat. We knew about the Shetterlys who lived in Morgan Bay! This was the late 70's. I had just come. I was not looking for a simple life, a hippie life, or back to the land. My sister and I were just trying to get a job and establish ourselves here. I also then moved closer to Surry Village and my sister lives in Sedgwick now. We did hike and boat and swim, and climb Blue Hill Mountain. And now I live a bit up the road from Prospect Harbor in Machias, so there's that, too. So I bought this book mostly looking for references and places that I recognized! I always get a kick out of that.
It was hard to just sit down and read this in one go, so I would read just one essay a day. I like that format. I did wish there were dates to each essay! No dates, despite some of them having been in magazines or columns. She would say, "This year" or "a year later" and I would think: But when? Are we talking 12 years ago, or last year? Are these things still current? How long has it been? The ones about the pandemic could be pinpointed, but otherwise? Add dates to the next edition!
These are some of the topics that interested me:
Wayne Newall---despite living now about an hour each from Pleasant Point/Sipayek or Princeton and the Reservation, I know very little about the Passamaquoddy. He is inspiring! I have heard his name before, but didn't know anything about him.
I have never heard of buffleheads and am tickled by the name! It's so cute! I asked my sister, who is a birder with her husband, if she knew buffleheads. "Oh yes!" she said. "We've seen buffleheads!" Bufflehead. I just want to say it over and over. And laugh.
I was also really taken in by the essay, "At Dusk" about waiting to hear the woodcock every spring. I did like these sentences...
"We had come for the spring song and dance of the woodcock. We sat, or stood, our ears sorting out the crepuscular noises, waiting for the peculiar sound of this bird, one of spring's most tonic wake-ups." I can picture (and FEEL) this so well! The waiting and listening.
I want to hear the "peent"!!! I need to do this.
Did I read that Susan Shetterly became a wildlife rehabilitator? How fitting in view of the last essay, "The Gull" about an injured sea gull that Susan rescued as a child. I was really hoping that that essay would end differently.
And, oh my goodness! I am not enthralled with Audubon! Killing all those birds! I mean, wouldn't just one of each have been enough? Was this just a mechanical thing with him?
So I live in Machias, but I have not seen the bluefin tuna skeleton at the college, or if I did, I didn't do more than glance at it. I will make it my mission now.
And I have passed Darthia Farm on the road, but never stopped in. I certainly remember the big fire of 2012 that destroyed the barn and many of the animals, I donated to the restoration effort. It sounds like an incredible resource for new farmers (or anyone!).
And lastly, I am always fascinated by how the environment cleans and restores itself as soon as human contamination ends. Personally, I am a believer in God as a creator and I believe that he purposely set this "fix" in motion. So I find it interesting how if you restore the habitat, then the animals will come back, without human help. That's so cool. I have certainly seen the proliferation of eagles since I came to Maine! They seem nearly as common as crows. I had read about the Thames River in England, how polluted it was in the 40s and 50s and nearly all the fish and wildlife died. But when they put anti-pollution laws in place, without re-introducing any fish or birds, they just came back on their own, as the river cleansed itself. Sweet.
So, 3 stars for me, only because I only found a few things of interest to me, personally. Not because it isn't good for the right person!
January 16, 2023
This book, Notes on the Landscape of Home, contains little known facts on animals, insights into local community service, and revealing facts about thee wild bird artist John James Audubon.
The shorebirds that stop in Maine to eat horseshoe crab on their way further north are finding their food supply diminishing. Many of “the crabs are caught as they come to shore to spawn in the spring,” and sold to medical labs where they are “strapped to a harness, bled, and then returned to the sea.” However, many die from the ordeal. The medical labs extract lysate from the crabs’ blood “to test the purity of our vaccines.” Although a synthetic substitute has been found, medical labs continue this traditional practice.
The Surry community where the author Susan Hand Shetterly lives banded together to preserve a threatened landscape in their backyard and also joined with other local communities to oppose the establishment of an immense salmon farm in their midst.
The famous wild bird artist John Audubon killed hundreds and hundreds of wild birds before he painted them. He traveled far and wide in North America in search of different species. He sailed down the Mississippi River with the help of two slaves “from the family home,” and when he reached his destination--sold the boat and the two guides.
Every chapter of these Notes, contains a little-known fact. This book is a rewarding read.
The shorebirds that stop in Maine to eat horseshoe crab on their way further north are finding their food supply diminishing. Many of “the crabs are caught as they come to shore to spawn in the spring,” and sold to medical labs where they are “strapped to a harness, bled, and then returned to the sea.” However, many die from the ordeal. The medical labs extract lysate from the crabs’ blood “to test the purity of our vaccines.” Although a synthetic substitute has been found, medical labs continue this traditional practice.
The Surry community where the author Susan Hand Shetterly lives banded together to preserve a threatened landscape in their backyard and also joined with other local communities to oppose the establishment of an immense salmon farm in their midst.
The famous wild bird artist John Audubon killed hundreds and hundreds of wild birds before he painted them. He traveled far and wide in North America in search of different species. He sailed down the Mississippi River with the help of two slaves “from the family home,” and when he reached his destination--sold the boat and the two guides.
Every chapter of these Notes, contains a little-known fact. This book is a rewarding read.
February 23, 2023
Time. It is in everything. It holds onto everything and sometimes it folds in on itself allowing a much-needed pause in life. This was my first thought as I closed the book Notes on the Landscape of Home by Susan Hand Shetterly. It is an exceptional collection of essays from a writer undoubtedly grounded in both time and place.
For the full review go to: https://rjheller.com/2023/02/23/notes...
For the full review go to: https://rjheller.com/2023/02/23/notes...
January 18, 2026
Reading for fun. I have read two of her books and loved them. She is a Maine author and I'm looking forward to reading this book. I just love how she writes and what she writes about. She lives in Hancock County and near Penobscot Bay - near me.
This book was great! I love how she writes. Her chapters are short, factual, interesting, and so caring. I feel like I am with her on all her walks and journeys or part of the story.
The turkey vulture chapter was just so interesting as I knew nothing about this wonderful bird. I also loved the story about the gull too. Oh, I just loved all the chapters and enjoyed the book thoroughly! A quick read if you love reading about nature and want to know about natural history.
This book was great! I love how she writes. Her chapters are short, factual, interesting, and so caring. I feel like I am with her on all her walks and journeys or part of the story.
The turkey vulture chapter was just so interesting as I knew nothing about this wonderful bird. I also loved the story about the gull too. Oh, I just loved all the chapters and enjoyed the book thoroughly! A quick read if you love reading about nature and want to know about natural history.
November 3, 2023
Some very beautiful prose in this book.
She captures the Maine coastal living wonderfully.
She captures the Maine coastal living wonderfully.
January 6, 2025
Short contemplative essays appreciating her surroundings in Surry, Maine.
These are spare like the rocky coastal landscape she loves. She describes both the landscape and the wildlife, going back in time to when she and her ex-husband first came as back-to the-landers in 1971 and on up into and through the pandemic and grandchildren. She makes the point that all of us need connection to the natural world around us...which I support. I enjoyed the essays though sometimes they seemed rather short--I wanted more. Many were first published in Down East magazine. The appeal was mainly that of revisiting a part of the world I once visited regularly and also loved.
These are spare like the rocky coastal landscape she loves. She describes both the landscape and the wildlife, going back in time to when she and her ex-husband first came as back-to the-landers in 1971 and on up into and through the pandemic and grandchildren. She makes the point that all of us need connection to the natural world around us...which I support. I enjoyed the essays though sometimes they seemed rather short--I wanted more. Many were first published in Down East magazine. The appeal was mainly that of revisiting a part of the world I once visited regularly and also loved.
November 22, 2022
Beautifully written. Just a restful and lovely place to be and enjoy the author's observations of nature.
April 14, 2025
It was surprisingly peaceful to read these essays about the wild life of coastal Maine. It has made me want to walk more and pay more attention to the natural world around me.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews