Escapees March/April 2016

From the Bookshelf

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Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting Michael Perry Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (December 22, 2015) ISBN: 978-0061240447 Paperback, $14.99 I have enjoyed the wit and humor of Michael Perry ever since reading his ¿ rst book, Population: 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time, was my introduction to his writing. In that book he recounted his experience of returning to his small Wiscon- sin town to work as an EMT. Along the way he met many

The Wonder of It All—100 Stories from The National Park Service Yosemite Conservancy (March 15, 2016) ISBN: 978-1930238626 • $18.95 The year 2016 is the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service (NPS) inaugurated by President Teddy Roosevelt as Ameri- ca’s “best idea.” The NPS has protected

and maintained the treasures that are our National Parks, monuments and historical sites stretching from the coast of Maine to American Samoa. These sites, numbering over 400, are preserved for our enjoyment and are visited by over 290 million visitors every year from all over the world. The men and women of the NPS, both employees and volunteers, have many stories to share with us of their experiences. This book has personal stories that are daring, inspirational and often funny. There are over 100 current and archival photos of the parks and employees. This is a book to be enjoyed by visitors to the NPS sites and those of

interesting characters, like the fellow EMT who has to leave town to buy gas because his two ex- wives work at the single gas station in town. The emergency runs that he participates in are touching and often poignant and sometimes tragic. Life in a small town is anything but boring with this cast of characters that Michael so aptly describes. This book is one of his best. Since then, he has written other books, some novels but mostly memoirs. He tells of restoring an old pickup truck and meeting one of his old neigh- bors who is full of pithy comments about life. Coop is of his experiences with a ramshackle Wisconsin farmhouse, 37 overgrown acres and a pregnant wife who wants to deliver their child at home. This adventure into fatherhood was a ¿ rst for Michael. And I think the wonder of new life brought forth some of his best writing.

us who wistfully envy the experiences of being a park ranger. You can appreciate this book even without the bene ¿ t of wearing the uni- form, hat and gold badge of an NPS employee as they cope with weather, tourists and, yes, lots of bears. “This book has personal stories that are daring, inspirational and often funny.”

Marcella has a lifelong love of reading. She says she can’t remember anything before she could read, and writing is her second love. Her first long story, about a girl and her hero horse, was written when she was only 12 years old. She has worked as a technical writer for over 40 years, and, when she can, she escapes on a road trip in her 1978 classic Airstream trailer.

www.escapees.com | March/April 2016 | ESCAPEES . 83