The writer's most ancient task, John Daniel tells us in this important collection of essays, is to "speak the mysteries, to remind the culture of what it can't afford to forget." At this time, when it often seems we can do little but lament the threat of humankind to the natural world, a new voice such as John Daniel's seems not only welcome and reassuring, but even necessary. These essays serve as guides in finding our way home.The voice we hear in The Trail Home is compassionate, knowledgeable, resonant. This is a poet's voice and it employs the poet's tools: concrete language describing particular problems of a specific landscape. Whether observing an old growth forest, a western desert, or the writer's assault on clods of dirt in his own backyard garden, the clarity of vision invites the reader to come along. John Daniel's aim is to apprehend the natural world more personally, as people were undoubtedly meant to do.This collection heralds the emergence of a landscape writer working in the tradition of Wendell Berry, Gary Snyder and Wallace Stegner. This is an American voice, informed by the vision of John Muir and the rhythms of Henry Thoreau. It is remarkable for its ability to measure wry observation and biting commentary with both wisdom and humor. Read Less