The Edge of the Sea

Book cover of The Edge of the Sea

Book description

In The Edge of the Sea Rachel Carson introduces us to the 'strange and beautiful place' where the sea meets the land. She explores a tide pool, an inaccessible cave, and watches a lone crab on the shore at midnight. From these, and other, encounters she offers us not just…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked The Edge of the Sea as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Judith Weis

Author

Once again, there's a poetic quality in this discussion of the shore and the life within it.

The author talks about the lives of the creatures that live in the empty shells we find and the kinds of creatures found on rocky shores, sandy beaches, and coral reefs. Along the Maine coast are the surf zone and tide pools, where barnacles, limpets, and periwinkles live along rocky shores. On sandy beaches, we explore the holes and tracks of crabs and the burrows of clams and whelks that come out at low tide.

She discusses geologic history in the reefs off…

From Judith's list on the marine environment.

Helen Jukes

Author

Most people have heard of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, but her other books—including this one from her sea trilogy—are lesser known. The Edge of the Sea is a luminous, precise, and exquisite book, and since reading, I haven’t been able to look at a coastline without being reminded of it.

Carson explores the sea’s edge as a liminal, constantly shifting place. Her scientific knowledge creates a detailed sense of its meaning and detail, and her poetic, vital prose is a joy to read. Carson clearly loves what she writes about, and her passion is infectious!

From Helen's list on reconnecting with nature.