The Sacred Shed on the Edge of the Ravine

Bodengraven details her construction of a writer’s studio in her backyard on Boston’s North Shore in this contemplative paean to nature. She begins by reflecting on her decision to create the space: an empty nester, she had recently suffered the loss of a beloved pet when a transformational dream and a visit from what she deems an animal “totem” spurred her into action. She designs the section of her garden designated for the studio, preparing the land and surrounding area while awaiting the shed’s delivery, and then turns it into the refuge she seeks, aided by family and friends such as Marilyn, a potter and mystic. Bodengraven slowly divulges the pain she experienced over the premature deaths of her mother and sister earlier in her life, but mainly she lovingly describes her physical surroundings, meditates on her long marriage to her sailboat-loving husband, and contemplates the spiritual transcendence of the natural world. (In a staredown with a doe, she writes, “I am the first to look away. This seems to be the way of the wild.... I had to be the one to look away.”) Less a narrative-driven memoir than a stream of memories and ruminations, Bodengraven’s quiet work expresses her deep respect for the unknowable qualities of nature. (BookLife)