Self-Portrait with Turtles: A Memoir

This book was my favorite of Carroll's works. It is so readable and interesting to read how the author traces his years early years of interest and eventual obsession with these most ellusive of creatures. I heartily recommend it. I couldn't put the book down!

It's fun to read about how some of our favorite naturalists came to the field. Men like John Muir, Aldo Leopold, and E.O. Wilson "discovered" the natural world as children exploring the habitats found in their own neighborhoods. They later went on to college for scientific study, and from that background they wrote their signature pieces. Well, that's not exactly the path that David M. Carroll took. Yes, he found his first turtle when he was eight years old, and yes, he's been captivated by them ever since. But he approaches his subject first with an artist's eye, then brings in the science, and combines both with a writing style that keeps readers interested and turning pages. After spending nearly every free daylight hour as a youngster in the swamps and wetlands of Pennsylvania and Connecticut, David went off to study at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. There he focused on oil painting ... and also a fellow student named Laurette. After graduation, David taught art in a variety of schools in New England, always looking to weave his work with living near a natural, turtle-friendly environment. He and Laurette and their three children eventually settled in central New Hampshire, where David could teach and supply illustrations for governmental and academic scientific publications. It wasn't until a friend commented on the engaging writing style in his correspondence that he tried his hand at writing and illustrating his own books. The result was a wetland trilogy: "The Year of the Turtle," "Trout Reflections," and "Swampwalker's Journal." Certainly Carroll would consider one of the highlights of his career the moment he met Archie Carr, whose classic reference work, "Handbook of Turtles," is still found on nature center shelves today. Decades later, Carroll is still adept at finding turtles in the landscape, in spite of human intrusion and the loss of habitat. Together we can share his concern, dismay, and then surprise as he revisits the turtle troves of his past. David Carroll knows just how much detail needs to be included in this kind of work. He doesn't bog the reader down with extraneous dates, names, and places. Of course, he augments his text with his own drawings and sketches; as usual, they are some of the most accurate and animated in the genre. Here he has given us a heart-warming memoir, making us wish we had turtle stories of our own.

A must read, whether you are a turtle lover or just appreciate brilliant writing. A wonderful surprise ending to one of the most beautifully written books imaginable. Let's hope we see a lot more books from David Carroll in the future!

I had never heard of David Carroll until I spotted this book by accident at a local bookstore, bought it, read it, and thoroughly enjoyed it.Carroll is obsessed with turtles and writes about his lifelong pursuit of his passion with luminous prose.Highly recommended.