About the Book & Author

From New York Times contributing opinion writer Margaret Renkl comes an unusual, captivating portrait of a family -- and of the cycles of joy and grief that inscribe human lives within the natural world.

Growing up in Alabama, Renkl was a devoted reader, an explorer of riverbeds and red-dirt roads, and a fiercely loved daughter. Here, in brief essays, she traces a tender and honest portrait of her complicated parents -- her exuberant, creative mother; her steady, supportive father -- and of the bittersweet moments that accompany a child's transition to caregiver.

And here, braided into the overall narrative, Renkl offers observations on the world surrounding her suburban Nashville home. Ringing with rapture and heartache, these essays convey the dignity of bluebirds and rat snakes, monarch butterflies and native bees. As these two threads haunt and harmonize with each other, Renkl suggests that there is astonishment to be found in common things: in what seems ordinary, in what we all share. For in both worlds -- the natural one and our own -- "the shadow side of love is always loss, and grief is only love's own twin."

Gorgeously illustrated by the author's brother, Billy Renkl, Late Migrations is an assured and memorable debut.

How Do I Get the Book?

Students: Copies are available for purchase at the USA Bookstore and at your local bookstore. Copies are available for loan at the University Library.

Students with Disabilities: If you are a student with a documented disability and wish to request this text in an alternate format, please contact Educational Accessibility and Disability Resources (CEADR) at (251) 460-7212.  No alternate format copies will be supplied without proper documentation.

Faculty and Staff: If you are interested in participating in this program or reviewing the text, please email commonread@southalabama.edu.