Search - An American Childhood

Of Annie Dillard's books, I read An American Childhood first, and that was fortuitous, because later, when I read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, I felt like I had known Annie as a girl and was meeting her again. Annie Dillard the woman is a close, respectful and articulate observer of the world around her at her home on Tinker Creek, Virginia. Reading pilgrim Annie's book is an esthetic pleasure and a therapeutic one, too. There are many readers like the woman I met once at a baccalaureate at which the speaker had taken his 'text' from Dillard. The woman said......"It's time for me to read Annie Dillard again." I understand that perfectly.

Annie was my creative writing teacher in college and my mentor. I've read all of her books and this one ranks right at the top. Her observant way of capturing ordinary events in imaginative prose brings an 'aha' moment to lots of pages. In this book, I remember reading about her lying in bed and watching a 'ghost of light' sweep around the wall of her room. Only much later did she realize that it was the headlight of a car turning a corner. So much to love about Annie and the way she chronicles our days on this planet. Read her work. You'll be glad you did!

The book I have has a different cover. Interesting bio.