Tolkien called “the heart-wracking sense of the vanished past.” It made me wonder: Who were the people who lived here, long ago? Its trees have gnarled, expressive faces, and roots that embed into the earth with an almost visceral power. Did you know, for example, that trees can communicate with each other through their roots, even when they are many miles apart? I worry that they may never know the magic of the wilderness, the power of trees and the thrilling excitement of exploring nature without an adult hovering behind them. And so I write books for children who will never know what the freedom of my childhood was like.

Source: New York Times February 07, 2020 09:56 UTC