At once a cri de coeur and a memoir of both pain and wonder, this remarkable collection of essays adds indelibly to Lopez's legacy, and includes previously unpublished works, some written in the months before his death. They unspool memories both personal and political, among them tender, sometimes painful stories of his childhood in New York City and California, reports from expeditions to study animals and sea life, recollections of travels to Antarctica and other extraordinary places on earth, and meditations on finding oneself amid vast, dramatic landscapes. He reflects on those who taught him, including Indigenous elders and scientific mentors who sharpened his eye for the natural world. And we witness poignant returns to the sanctuary of his Oregon backyard, adjacent to the wild McKenzie River. In prose of searing candor, he reckons with the cycle of life, including his own, and — as he has done throughout his career — with the dangers the earth and its people are facing.