The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America's National Parks
Written to coincide with the centennial of the U.S. National Park Service, The Hour of Land explores how the preservation of public lands has changed American history and culture. In a powerful and often poetic voice, Terry Tempest Williams articulates her own intimate experiences with national parks and monuments, and decries the destructive forces of development and climate change. By focusing on 12 specific parks — including Big Bend in Texas, Acadia in Maine, and Canyonlands in Utah — Williams shows the rich diversity of American landscapes. Also excellent on audiobook, The Hour of Land will compel you to grab a walking stick and set out for your nearest national park.
Quote:
"Knowledge matters. Justice matters. Hindsight shows us our blind spots and biases; we can recognize ourselves as human beings caught in the cultural mores of a specific time. This is not to excuse the brutal and tenebrific acts of the past, but to consider them in the light of what we know now. By definition, our national parks in all their particularity and peculiarity show us as much about ourselves as the landscapes they honor and protect. They can be seen as holograms of an America born of shadow and light; dimensional; full of contradictions and complexities. Our dreams, our generosities, our cruelties and crimes are absorbed into these parks like water."
Author:
Terry Tempest Williams is an activist, memoirist, and novelist. Her works include When Women Were Birds, Refuge, Desert Quartet, and The Hour of Land. She divides her time between Utah and Wyoming.
Published: 2016
Length: 397 pages
Set in: Alaska; California; Florida; Iowa; Maine; Mississippi; Montana; North Dakota; Pennsylvania; Texas; Utah; and Wyoming, United States