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A Memoir in Walks
by Angelica Glass
In this beguiling memoir of discovery and transformation, a woman walks every street in Santa Cruz County, California, and finds unexpected healing.
Angelica Glass spent decades as a social worker helping families struggling with poverty, addiction, abuse and neglect. Needing relief from work-related stress, she turned to walking as an outlet. What began as a way to incorporate more exercise into her busy life transformed into something extraordinary: a years-long odyssey in which Glass drew upon physical exercise, a close observation of the natural world, and long periods of introspection to reconcile with her own past.
Between moments of awe as she explored her community and documented what she saw with her camera, she grappled with the turmoil of her early years in a complicated, challenging family, the aging process, long-held insecurities, and grief.
Whether wandering through residential neighborhoods, over redwood-strewn mountain passes, or along the seashore, Glass found solace and developed a growing sense of peace. By looking to the natural world to suture old wounds — by scavenging beauty on her terms — she came to understand what it means to feel whole.
"Glass draws readers into a compelling and unforgettable family story … quietly powerful, this one is pure gold." —Booklist (starred review)
"Striking…a winning testament to the transformative power of curiosity. Readers will be pleased they walked so many miles in the author's shoes." —Publishers Weekly
"In her debut memoir, Glass chronicles her years-long project of walking on every street in Santa Cruz County, California, which embedded her in a verdant natural world and afforded much quiet time for reflection...Raw and harrowing memories, gracefully recounted." —Kirkus Reviews
"I'm not sure why Angelica Glass decided to write Scavenging Beauty, but I am certain that it hit home with me. This is a magnificent account of humanity that should prompt all who read it to take a walk through their life and give it the time, credit, and understanding that it and we as individuals deserve. Enjoy the journey." —David Baldacci, New York Times bestselling author of Nash Falls
"A moving excavation of the long tail of family trauma and the healing power of a long walk." —Katherine May, bestselling author of Wintering and Enchantment
This information about Scavenging Beauty was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Angelica Glass had a decades-long career in social work in California, including designing and directing a program that provides support and services to children and families affected by methamphetamine abuse. The mother of two grown sons, she lives with her wife in Santa Cruz, California.
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