The Quarry Fox - by Leslie T Sharpe (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A red fox stands poised at the edge of its den, ears perked for danger as two fox kits frolic nearby. A black bear and her cubs hibernate beneath a felled tree. A barred owl snags a hapless cottontail from a meadow. In The Quarry Fox and Other Critters of the Wild Catskills, Leslie T. Sharpe Trains her keen eye and narrative gifts on these and other wildlife in her observations as a naturalist living in the Great Western Catkills.

The Quarry Fox is the first in-depth study of Catskill wildlife since John Burroughs essentially invented the nature-writing genre in the 19th century. In these pages, Sharpe deftly weaves her experiences with the seasons, plants and creatures with their natural history, revealing their sensitivity to and resilience against the splendor and cruelty of Nature. Written in Sharpe's signature lyric style, The Quarry Fox is destined to take its place as a classic of the genre of American nature-writing, and proves that Sharpe, a lifelong naturalist and avid birder, is Burroughs's worthy successor.

With echoes of Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Sharpe's frank, scientific observations join with her deeply felt connection to these creatures to instill in readers an appreciation of the undaunted and variegated beauty of the Catskills and camaraderie with its animals. From contemplating the importance of milkweed for monarchs to lay their eggs to reveling in the first steps of a wobbly fawn, The Quarry Fox is a celebration of the natural world and our place in itl.

Review Quotes

"I have learned that death is common," writes Leslie T. Sharpe. "It is life that is extraordinary." The Quarry Fox and Other Critters of the Wild Catskills abounds with life: the Catskills critters she observes, her own outdoor life, the legacy of the writer naturalists who precede her. A century ago, John Burroughs brought nature alive on the page. Leslie T. Sharpe does it now.

--Bill Birns, author of A Catskill Catalog: The Myth in the Mountain; Fleishmanns in Verse; I Was Corning a Beaver Like You Do: John Burroughs, Joe Hewitt, Mountain Culture

A lyrical celebration... This engaging portrait of the Catskill wilderness will appeal to nature enthusiasts of all stripes.

--Library Journal (starred review)

A poignant and modern reminder of untamed creatures so close to home.

--Sam Roberts, The New York Times

An intimate portrait . . . Sharpe's prose is firmly rooted in the rhythms of this particular place. Although her book is ostensibly about the animals with which she shares her patch of forest--the quarry fox of the title, for example--Sharpe is at her best when she's writing about the subtle changes in season visible only to those who have practiced years of close observation . . . The Quarry Fox also enlivens the landscape, imbuing the humble hills and streams of Sharpe's backyard with wonder and awe.

--Sierra Magazine

Leslie T. Sharpe's The Quarry Fox and Other Critters of the Wild Catskills is a gift to every heart that beats under the sky. Sharpe's boundless curiosity, keen observational skills, and deep-rooted delight will inspire anybody who years to connect to the natural world that sustains us and needs our good stewardship. Reading this book is like taking a walk in the woods with a very wise friend. Grab your sense of wonder and go.

--Nina Shengold, author of Reservoir Year: A Walker's Book of Days

This beautiful new edition of The Quarry Fox and Other Critters of the Wild Catskills is a page-by-page pleasure. Leslie T. Sharpe's exquisite prose creates such a vivid portrait of life's wonders large and small around her Catskills cabin, you can't help but see things anew in your own backyard. Like John Burroughs, Henry David Thoreau, and Annie Dillard, Sharpe reminds us that the best nature narratives are intimate meditations drawn from passionate observation. What a marvel this book is.

--Kim Brown Seely, author of Uncharted: A couple's Epic Empty Nest Sailing from One Life to Another