Book Reviews

A River to Die For
A Wedding to Die For
A Treasure to Die For
Music to Die For
A Valley to Die For
Dear Earth
A Clear North Light
Under the Wolf's Head
Death in Exile
Black and Secret Midnight
The Voice He Loved
The Heart of Matthew Jade
Shaded Light
Hyænas

Booklist (reviewed by Patricia Hassler)  "Thoreau thought it was fine to build castles in the air as long as we put foundations under them. Radine Nehring has done exactly that. She presently holds court on a granite thinking bench as self-appointed queen of Spring Hollow. In 1978, she and husband John realized their weekends in the Arkansas Ozarks were more real than their "real" lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma. So, the two lifelong dreamers purchased 12 acres in a dogwood-filled hollow and began a decade of double lives. They cleared a space, put up a cabin, installed a wood stove, dug a well, and became gentle landholders. Each weekend, they drove two hours to escape to a private Eden. There, like a veritable Adam and Eve of the Ozarks, they sought to understand why they love the land. There they learned the irony of spending weekdays busy as squirrels and weekends watching squirrels busier than they. In 1988, the Nehrings moved permanently to Spring Hollow where now John builds furniture while Radine builds books. This one is written in a clear, warm voice by a writer and environmentalist who unabashedly loves her husband, her land, and her granite bench. Read it and dream."

Midwest Book Review  "Many dream of leaving urban areas for the country, but can't make the transition. Radine and her husband built a cabin in the Arkansas Ozarks which was to serve as a weekend retreat: it quickly became more, luring them to quit secure jobs in favor of a country life. This compelling story traces their transitional experiences, presenting an endearing account."

Midwest Book Review (reviewed by Laurel Johnson)  “This winner of the Oklahoma Writers Federation Best Nonfiction Award is beautifully written and presented. Ms. Nehring educates, informs, and entertains readers with her friendly, intimate writing style. Dear Earth would make a wonderful gift to readers of any age.”

Dr. Neil Compton (conservastionist and Pulitzer Prize nominee for The Battle for the Buffalo River) "An engrossing account of the ups and downs of a couple who cast aside the big city life for life in the hills. Nehring's book is a must!"

Mike Flynn (producer and host, "Folk Sampler," National Public Radio) "This is the story of a sweet journey from the city to the country, a journey that many people would like to make, but don't know how. Radine reminds us that dreams are meant to be dreamed—that woods are meant to be walked in—and the Earth is meant to be cared for. She is a wonderfully warm, descriptive writer who will have you sitting on her bench in the woods—watching and loving the things around you—and loving her gentle company as well. You should give this book to everyone you love, particularly to the young, so they can learn the things that Radine and John learned on their journey to the Ozarks."

Marvin Baker, Ph.D. (past Regional Vice President, Sierra Club) "There is inspiration here for all who contemplate making a change in living that brings one closer to the natural world. Readers should take encouragement that heroic efforts are not necessary to begin the process and that patience and persistence are more important than funds and physical stamina. Whether or not one is entertaining the possibility of following in the footsteps of the Nehrings, all will find these reflections of comfort. They reassure us that the land will be ready for us when we are ready for the land."