Join us to discuss New York Times bestseller Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell by Sy Montgomery.
About the Book: When acclaimed naturalist Sy Montgomery and wildlife artist Matt Patterson arrive at Turtle Rescue League, they are greeted by hundreds of turtles recovering from injury and illness. Endangered by cars and highways, pollution and poachers, these turtles—with wounds so severe that even veterinarians would have dismissed them as fatal—are given a second chance at life. The League’s founders, Natasha and Alexxia, live by one motto: Never give up on a turtle.
But why turtles? What is it about them that inspires such devotion? Ancient and unhurried, long-lived and majestic, their lineage stretches back to the time of the dinosaurs. Some live to two hundred years, or longer. Others spend months buried under cold winter water. Montgomery turns to these little understood yet endlessly surprising creatures to probe the eternal question: How can we make peace with our time?
In pursuit of the answer, Sy and Matt immerse themselves in the delicate work of protecting turtle nests, incubating eggs, rescuing sea turtles, and releasing hatchlings to their homes in the wild. We follow the snapping turtle Fire Chief on his astonishing journey as he battles against injuries incurred by a truck.
Hopeful and optimistic, Of Time and Turtles is an antidote to the instability of our frenzied world. Elegantly blending science, memoir, and philosophy, and drawing on cultures from across the globe, this compassionate portrait of injured turtles and their determined rescuers invites us all to slow down and slip into turtle time.
You can order a copy of the book from Kepler’s here.
What is the Non-Fiction Book Club?
Kepler’s Non-Fiction Book Club has been meeting since 2010. We cover all non-fiction genres from soup to nuts. Our meetings are monthly and we meet at 7:30pm every first Tuesday of the month via google meets. We welcome new attendees, and book suggestions and we vote every three months on the books suggested. I hope you feel free to join in whenever the spirit moves you.- Sina Herkelrath book club coordinator.
If you would like to attend any Book Club events please reach out to Heather Birchall at events@keplers.org to receive the Google Meet link.