A review by machadamia
Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver

emotional inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

4.5

This is the first book of Mary Oliver's that I have ever read and I am CONVINCED that her work is just right for me. I loved this collection of essays so much. And I would argue that this is probably the book I would recommend for anyone to get into her work. It says so much about who she is as a person and what she believes in. She is unabashedly certain about what she wants to say and says it so well here. She truly loved nature and nature loved her back. 

My favourite ones are the stories about spiders in the house and the dog that would chew through leashes with the stuck up policeman. I have always had a love for these little life that I cannot possibly go through. I think that humans are so smart and yet we spend so much of our time on things that don't matter and seeing these little things go through life reminds me of what really matters. Reading this makes me think that life isn't so hard after all, taking a walk and appreciating everything makes it all better.