Described as part memoir, part elegy, and part warning 'The Easternmost Sky' should be a must-read for a post-2020 world. Juliet Blaxland writes with elegance and conviction about how the lessons we learned from the pandemic can help us to change our relationship with the environment. I found the book fascinating from the outset as Blaxland seamlessly weaves together personal anecdotes with important statistics and evidence about how change is not only needed but is inevitable. By encouraging the reader to consider subjects such as rewilding, farming, and hunting, from multiple perspectives, Blaxland highlights how when it comes to real life, nothing is ever purely black and white. For me, this is exactly what I look for in a nonfiction book. I want to be introduced to perspectives I haven't come across before and forced to reexamine my own actions and opinions. This book definitely did both of these things in ample amounts. Although Blaxland does not shy away from terrifying statistics, she also manages to maintain a sense of hope. Her optimism is particularly pertinent in the 'Imminent imagined near-future inventions and/ or likely situations, in no particular order' found at the end of the book. As much as 'The Easternmost Sky' brought home the reality and danger of climate change, I also finished the book inspired to make changes in my own life and this is why I can't possibly recommend it enough.

Very interesting book - not what I was expecting as a follow-up from the author of The Easternmost House, but equally fascinating and enjoyable. I really like how nuanced the conversation around topics that can be controversial are in this book.