About the Book:
ISBN: 9781643751412
Kendra Atleework grew up in Swall Meadows, in the Owens Valley of the Eastern Sierra Nevada, where annual rainfall averages five inches and in drought years measures closer to zero.
Her parents taught their children to thrive in this beautiful if harsh landscape prone to wildfires, blizzards, and gale-force winds. Above all, the Atleework children were raised on unconditional love and delight in the natural world. But when Kendra’s mother died when Kendra was just sixteen, her once-beloved desert world came to feel empty and hostile, as climate change, drought, and wildfires intensified. The Atleework family fell apart, even as her father tried to keep them together. Kendra escaped to Los Angeles, and then Minneapolis, land of tall trees, full lakes, water everywhere you look.
But after years of avoiding her troubled hometown, she felt pulled back. Miracle Country is a moving and unforgettable memoir of flight and return, emptiness and bounty, the realities of a harsh and changing climate, and the true meaning of home. For readers of Cheryl Strayed, Terry Tempest Williams, and Rebecca Solnit, this is a breathtaking debut by a remarkable writer.
About Liz Wigylus:
One of the most respected snack-eaters at Alpenglow Sports, Liz Wigylus moved to Lake Tahoe in 2013 when an exploding enthusiasm for skiing, trail running and climbing demanded it. She has dedicated the past decade to strolling around on sometimes-big mountains and promoting sock tans and scars as sexy. She loves to spend time with Hueco, her dog named after a rock. She is still on the hunt for a pizza sponsor.
Why Liz Chose This Book:
One of the most thoughtful and sweeping homages to the Eastern Sierra written through the lens of one of its residents. You’ll be treated to haunting descriptions of the high desert and to the region’s raw Wild West and overlooked Native histories, as the author weaves together personal loss with the environmental destruction and human damage that larger forces continue to impact upon the East Side and its peoples. So, why stay there? Atleework crafts an important and convincing message about home.
