A Match to the Heart - by Gretel Ehrlich (Paperback)

About the Book

After nature writer Gretel Ehrlich was struck by lightning near her Wyoming ranch and almost died, she embarked on a grueling but often exhilarating journey back to the land of the living. Here she invites readers to share that journey, as she hungrily explores the natural and spiritual world to try and make sense of what happened to her.

Book Synopsis

A powerful chronicle of a wounded woman's exploration of nature and self

After nature writer Gretel Ehrlich was struck by lightning near her Wyoming ranch and almost died, she embarked on a painstaking and visionary journey back to the land of the living. With the help of an extraordinary cardiologist and the companionship of her beloved dog Sam, she avidly explores the natural and spiritual world to make sense of what happened to her. We follow as she combs every inch of her new home on the California coast, attends a convention of lightning-strike victims, and goes on a seal watch in Alaska. Ehrlich then turns her focus inward, exploring the tiny but equally fascinating ecosystem of the human heart, and culminated in a stunningly beautiful description of open-heart surgery.

Review Quotes

"A dazzling work of art."--Los Angeles Times Book Review

"This eclectic chronicle of recovery offers excursions into neurobiology, cardiology, the lore and science of lightning, and the medical literature of lightning injury. . . . Evocative writing and lots of fascinating facts."--The New York Times Book Review

About the Author

Gretel Ehrlich is a poet and writer whose work includes This Cold Heaven; The Solace of Open Spaces; Islands, the Universe; the novel, Heart Mountain; and the memoir A Match to the Heart. She is the recipient of the Whiting Writers' Award and the Henry David Thoreau Prize.