Holding on to Wonder

This picture-book biography traces Mary Oliver’s early connection to the natural world and poetry. As a quiet child, she spent time outdoors observing forests, birds, lilies, and streams while looking for words to convey what she felt there. As a young woman, a letter to the sister of poet Edna St. Vincent Millay led to work sorting Millay’s papers. Mary then began sharing her own writing and went on to publish poetry throughout her life.