Aimee Nezhukumatathil
"A lyrical, fascinating story about exploring the secret world of darkness and the remarkable creatures within it...Henion writes with poetic grace, blending her journey of discovery with the natural wonders in our own backyards."
Richard Louv
"The science intrigues...but Henion's greatest gift is her ability to evoke the sense of wonder that follows from tuning in to the natural world. This will fill readers with awe."
David George Haskell
Douglas W. Tallamy
Tristan Gooley
Elizabeth Gilbert
Jenny Offill
Ruth Ozeki
Even a cynic reading Phenomenal will yearn for a taste of wonder, because it...reminds us that we are all made of stardust.
Part travel memoir, part parenting manifesto, and part inquiry into those fleeting, extraordinary glimpses of something that left us groping for rational explanations in the quicksand of all-encompassing wonder.
What would it be like to experience the world with a child's sense of wonder? That is the question that Leigh Ann Henion succeeded in answering after the birth of her son. Jolted and spurred by his arrival, she decided to explore beyond home in search of the moments of wonder that she remembered from her own youth. Her quest was ambitious, inspiring her into encounters with Arctic reindeer herders, astrophysicists, and unforgettable lightning storms. A refreshing wake-up call to living in the natural world; editor's recommendation.
Leigh Ann Henion's Phenomenal: A Hesitant Adventurer's Search for Wonder in the Natural World is an inspiring nonfiction narrative about exploration and identity...It's a fascinating journey, and Henion chronicles it with the heart and eye of an artist. This delightful hybrid of a book blends memoir, history, and philosophy into a modern meditation on motherhood and the quest for a fulfilled life.