Of Time and Turtles

Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell

By: Sy Montgomery

Narrated by: Sy Montgomery

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NATIONAL BESTSELLER * AMAZON EDITOR’S PICK and BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR * INDIE BESTSELLER * A SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE'S BEST SCIENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR * THE WASHINGTON POST'S BEST NONFICTION OF THE YEAR PICK * A NEW SCIENTIST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR *THE PERFECT GIFT FOR NATURE LOVERS * INCLUDES GORGEOUS ARTWORK *

"Montgomery's heart-tugging conversations with teammates and her commitment to helping an octogenarian named Fire Chief reveal turtles to be perfect conduits for meditations on aging, disability and chosen family.” —Scientific American

National Book Award finalist for The Soul of an Octopus and New York Times bestseller Sy Montgomery turns her journalistic curiosity to the wonder and wisdom of our long-lived cohabitants—turtles—and through their stories of hope and rescue, reveals to us astonishing new perspectives on time and healing. For fans of The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year and An Immense World. Read by Montgomery herself, her soothing voice guides the reader through this reflective exploration.

When acclaimed naturalist Sy Montgomery and wildlife artist Matt Patterson arrive at Turtle Rescue League, they are greeted by hundreds of turtles recovering from injury and illness. Endangered by cars and highways, pollution and poachers, these turtles—with wounds so severe that even veterinarians would have dismissed them as fatal—are given a second chance at life. The League’s founders, Natasha and Alexxia, live by one motto: Never give up on a turtle.

But why turtles?What is it about them that inspires such devotion? Ancient and unhurried, long-lived and majestic, their lineage stretches back to the time of the dinosaurs. Some live to two hundred years, or longer. Others spend months buried under cold winter water. Montgomery turns to these little understood yet endlessly surprising creatures to probe the eternal question: How can we make peace with our time?

In pursuit of the answer, Sy and Matt immerse themselves in the delicate work of protecting turtle nests, incubating eggs, rescuing sea turtles, and releasing hatchlings to their homes in the wild. We follow the snapping turtle Fire Chief on his astonishing journey as he battles against injuries incurred by a truck.

Hopeful and optimistic, Of Time and Turtles is an antidote to the instability of our frenzied world. Elegantly blending science, memoir, and philosophy, and drawing on cultures from across the globe, this compassionate portrait of injured turtles and their determined rescuers invites us all to slow down and slip into turtle time.

• Perfect gift for nature lovers.
• Includes a signature of photos plus stunning, photo-realistic full color paintings and black-and-white chapter opener art by wildlife artist Matt Patterson.
• Read more books by Sy Montgomery such as How to Be a Good Creature and The Soul of an Octopus.
• Don't miss The Book of Turtles for children.

Terrific Tales of Turtle Conservation

The author brings to her book the raw emotion needed to open one’s heart to animals in deepest need and pain; you can hear her passion, her joy and her frustration as she navigates the rises and falls Of Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation. As an Environmental Conservationist vested in Environmental Law, I found this to be a fascinating and wonderful testament to animal welfare. I’d give 6 stars.

I will keep this in my collection and listen again.

Fascinating and deeply moving. The author is a brilliant narrator. I will never look at turtles the same way again.

love turtles but...

this book would be so much better but it brings the author's political views into so much of the story. didn't even get halfway. I just wanted a story about helping the animals I love. Unfortunate, had lots of potential

Good writing but too many unrelated social issues

Unfortunately this was written during the COVID pandemic, and the author felt it necessary to react to the politics and events of the time. It distracted me from the story; I wanted to read about turtles to escape all the social issues of the day. Otherwise, it was well written and it accomplished its mission of teaching me about turtles and the struggles they encounter in the modern world.

Hope and Heartbreak

A wonderful scientific and philosophical account of turtle rescue mostly centered in northeast United States. You will find yourself cheering on the author and saddened when she and her colleagues can't rescue every turtle killed by vehicle, poached or wrongfully cared for by there owners.