Raising wild Dispatches from a home in the wilderness

English professor and writer Branch lives with his wife and two young daughters in the high desert near Reno, Nevada. This essay collection's clear main theme, raising kids, doesn't preclude an eclectic mix of subjects. Branch describes his experiencing of the physical symptoms of pregnancy, Couvade syndrome, alongside his expecting wife, and writes about pronghorn antelope and the Pleiades constellation. A pack-rat infestation tests Branch's compassion; then he considers the presidential tradition of pardoning Thanksgiving turkeys each year. His articulating of his inspiring commitment to forest stewardship in the nearby Sierra Nevada gives way to a description of firefighters dowsing a blaze started by a fluke hole in Branch's fireplace flue. The highlight is Branch's hilarious treatment of the National Toy Hall of Fame's induction of the stick. Other strong pieces concern the futility of battling garden predators, Branch's costumed daughters reenacting part of The Sound of Music on a desert hilltop, and creating bedtime stories as a family. A warm and varied set of pieces about family and nature by a prolific essayist and academic deeply involved in pairing literature with the study of the living world.--Carr, Dane Copyright 2016 Booklist