Review Detail

Woods & Words is an inspiring and contemplative biography of poet Mary Oliver, with a focus on nature and the solace Mary found there throughout her life. Key moments include childhood escapes to scribble poems in the woods, meeting her love Molly, seaside days, creatively making ends meet during hard times, and strangers finding joy in her sometimes seemingly simple poetry.

Nature is front and center, with lush illustrations of woods and thickets and other scenes displaying just some of the beauty Mary strove to capture in her writing. Mary truly feels at home in these pockets of wilderness, and that peace runs through the entire story, although there's certainly hints of struggle behind the scenes. Young Mary sought solace in the woods, which alludes to her troubled home life, and the pages depict many many years of Mary writing before achieving literary success.

Pick this up for a biography and an inspiration to aspiring poets to explore the world, pencil and paper in hand.