Release date: January 10, 2023

LeBlond has faced down a bear in Labrador, chased a spadefoot toad through the soaking undergrowth, shilled for an auction house run by men he called Laurel and Hardy, choked down home-preserved seal-ribs on the Strait of Belle Isle, and witnessed a rare performance by the leading rake and scrape band in the Bahamas.

In short, LeBlond has had quite a life, and he’s written about it here with wit and compassion for the foibles and blessings of his fellow humans. He’s also thought quite a bit about what it means to grow older and how the writing life has helped him as he ages into his ninth decade. This is an absorbing and entertaining book from a first-rate writer.