I recently had the privilege of reading Every Natural Fact: Five Seasons of Open-Air Parenting by Amy Lou Jenkins via Business2Blogger. I received a free copy in order to give an honest review. Affiliate links are used in this post.

About the Author:

Amy Lou Jenkins holds a BSN in Nursing and Professional Communication and an MFA in Literature and Creative Writing from Bennington College. She teaches as a university adjunct and at writing retreats, conferences and workshops. Her environmental and nature writing has been honored by, The Florida Review Editors Award in Nonfiction, Literal Latte Essay Awards, Flint Hills Review Nonfiction Award, X.J. Kennedy Award for Nonfiction, and twice by the Ellis/Henderson Outdoor Writing Award. Her nonfiction has also won first place in the Jade Ring Award for Essay Writing, Wisconsin Regional Writing Award in Essay, Memoir, and Travel Writing. She is the recipient of a Mesa Refuge writing fellowship for environmental writing. Her work has appeared in multiple magazines, newspapers, and anthologies…. Jenkins writes a quarterly book review column for the Sierra Club’s Muir View and maintains a personal website at www.AmyLouJenkins.com and a writing site at www.Anthologiesonline.com. She’s read her essays on Wisconsin and Alaska public radio and been a radio guest on dozens of shows. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, son, and two spoiled dogs.

My Book Review of Every Natural Fact

As a native of Wisconsin, a lover of walks and nature, and as a young mother, this book made a lot of sense to me. The Wisconsin natural history made me think back to many lessons and things I had learned in school as a child concerning the glaciers that shaped much of Wisconsin’s landscape. I also thought about my own experiences with different natural parts of Wisconsin, like Kettle Moraine, the Dells, Horicon Marsh, and Devil’s Lake.

While the author is much more of a naturalist than I will probably ever be, I do have a deep love of nature and the outdoors. Just as she implies throughout the book, there is a certain connection that nature has with the sublime, with God. In the time I spend in nature I always feel closer to God. I feel his glory all around me. Nature brings me peace and happiness and freedom.

As the author shares her experiences walking through various natural settings in Wisconsin with her son DJ, they learn and share natural occurrences together, and have fun doing it! I love how the author perfectly captures her son’s mannerisms and speech and how she even laughs at herself from time to time. It humanizes her natural history lessons and makes her relate-able, and the story enjoyable to read.

On their walks, they often talk about deeper subjects, something the author is keenly aware will become harder as her adolescent son fully enters his teen years and eventual manhood. But, I bet that these long trips and explorations have fostered a deep connection between them that will be ever so useful in the coming years.

Reading this book made me think again about how important it is to preserve and maintain our natural surroundings and environment. To take care of Mother Earth. And to teach my children to do the same by teaching my children about Nature and her role in our lives, and ours in hers. And it made me want to go camping. Or hiking. Or something outside with my children.

Book Giveaway! (ENDED)

If you want a copy of Every Natural Fact you can have one for free if you win this drawing!

To enter all you have to do is:
1.) Post a comment on the bottom of this post saying you want in.*

If you want an additional entry do one of the following and leave another comment telling me you did it:
1.) Liked What’s Up Fagans on Facebook
2.) Shared the post about the giveaway on Facebook

The contest will end on Friday March 30, 2012. You have one week to enter! Good luck!

*I know some of you have had problems posting a comment on my blog in the past, so if it doesn’t post, just send me a quick e-mail at [email protected] telling me you want to enter.

Good luck! And tell me, how has nature played a role in your parenting?