This heart-filled volume by Clare Gogerty implores the reader to discover, appreciate, and celebrate the natural world that lurks beneath the surface of an urban city.

Or, at least, that’s what I hoped it would do. Such insights can definitely be mined from the author’s pages, but overall, I found the book to be more about small projects suited to suburban (not urban) living.

The book is charming, and Gogerty’s appreciative enthusiasm is undeniably contagious. But her definition of city life, as a resident of a small English county, differs greatly from mine as a Chicagoan.

But I did discover several hints and perspectives that made me smile, and a few that I will put to use in my own way. The suggestion about creating natural, ephemeral art in public green spaces, is one example of the latter.

While this book didn’t hit home for me, if you live in the suburbs or a small city, I could imagine it really speaking to you. You can find a copy at the Amazon, of course.