What drew me into this book was the site of the author's porch on Homosassa River and the sights and sounds of Florida from his point of view. The stories that come out of the porch, from scenes the author sees to the interactions that occur on the porch are magnificent. At times it gets a little esoteric, drifting off into the details of what makes a porch and what other authors and philosophers have waxed poetic about porches in the past. It made me think a bit harder about how I utilize my own porch where my son spends time playing and where I sit and peer into our garden. A keeper of a book to ponder on in the future.

Oh, what a beautiful book! The author writes about his sensory experiences, reflects and contemplates about...life, from his porch on the Homosassa River in Florida. This not only takes you into his thoughts about the obvious but far beyond and writes about what I think as I sit on my porch, so it is personal. There is so, so much more than you would think unless you have your own porch...and, as the author says, we all should, whether it is a true porch or not. It can be a gazebo, a hammock or even a bench.

The author describes the four core elements when thinking about a porch and the chapters discusses these in depth. A porch is like no other place, especially if it faces water. His writing hooked me instantly and transported me to our dear porch in Croatia. Due to the pandemic we are home in Canada where my porch is my library as the snow is too deep and temperatures too cold for half the year. But when in Croatia we LIVE on our porch. There is nowhere in the world I would rather be. The descriptions of rain (and especially storms), insects, hummingbirds, plants, wildlife, what collects on the porch, the structure itself (the author is an architect) are breathtaking. "A porch holds nature's air...". So true. And "on a porch, you travel without leaving home". Yes! As he says, "senses are heightened". Absolutely. A leaf falling can sound like a miniature earthquake, the flutter of a bird's wings can mesmerize, the ripples of water echo. A porch can be research grounds...another big yes. It is where I ID wild fungi, collect bits of porcelain and pottery found on our property. The author also describes his family's porch games and stories told on his porch...we have those, too! We feel we live in a nature reserve. This is what this book reads like. A porch...even the idea of a porch...is simple but the joy you can get from it is beyond comprehension.

If you are drawn to nature, have a porch, want a porch or want to learn about the roles of porches, please read this outstanding and stunningly descriptive peaceful and relatable book. The author draws on his experiences in Athens to discuss ancient porches, too, and their importance in history. He also adds illustrative photographs. To me a porch is home. No need to be palatial, just a corner in nature will do.

My sincere thank you to the University of Chicago Press, Charlie Hailey and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this amazing, amazing book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.

Not my usual read but beautifully written. Grounded in mindfulness it’s rich prose takes me to a peaceful place in my head. Much needed with the turmoils of the current day. Opened my mind to exploring the wrought beauty of nature and all of its surrounding.

Thank you netgalley for the arc