Reading the Water

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What to expect

“A father shares the joys of fly-fishing with his daughters in this eloquent memoir…[Mark] Hume vividly conveys the sensory details of their adventures and the stunning surroundings…A heartfelt, beautifully written celebration of the wonders of nature and comfort of family.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Fishing was Mark Hume’s passion since he was a young boy, a lifeline through a childhood marked by his family’s frequent moves. When he became a father, he knew he wanted to pass on his love of water, fishing, and the natural world to his daughters. Most of all, he wanted to give them hope for their future even as they were coming of age during uncertain times.

As soon as they were old enough, Mark taught his girls how to read the water and see the patterns in nature. He showed them how to cast, how to catch fish and release them, and—only when needed—how to kill them. He discovered that fly fishing and fatherhood require many of the same skills: patience, flexibility, and the knowledge of when to reel in and when to let go.

Illuminating and heartfelt, Reading the Water is a much-needed, positive story about a father raising daughters, and a meditation on finding faith in a deep connection with the natural world.

Critics Review

  • “Hume captures the poignancy of having once grasped a natural world teeming with exquisite, if all too vulnerable and fleeting, abundance. A must read for anyone who loves nature and cares about the earth.”

    Tara Neilson, author of Raised in Ruins

  • “An immensely profound look at how fly fishing has been ‘a way of navigating life’—a joyous celebration of how it has mingled with the seasons, the rivers, and the author’s close family. I loved Reading the Water.”

    Nick Lyons, author of Spring Creek

  • “Reading this book I found myself feeling more hopeful…Not just about the environment, but importantly, about men as fathers.”

    Sandy Shreve, author of Suddenly So Much

  • “A father shares the joys of fly-fishing with his daughters. In this eloquent memoir…[Mark] Hume vividly conveys the sensory details of their adventures and the stunning surroundings…A heartfelt, beautifully written celebration of the wonders of nature and comfort of family.”

    Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

  • “In the tradition of Roderick Haig-Brown, and with a clear lyricism reminiscent of Wallace Stegner, Hume writes passionately about his intense connection to wild fish and the waters that sustain them. Gorgeously imagined, told with humility and grace, Reading the Water is a meditation on what it means to be a son, a father, a man wading the deep currents of his own mortality.”

    Kim Barnes, Pulitzer Prize finalist

  • “This is glorious…truly brilliant.”

    Roy MacGregor, award-winning journalist and author

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