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Scavenging Beauty

A Memoir in Walks

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Scavenging Beauty

By: Angelica Glass
Narrated by: Angelica Glass
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About this listen

In this beguiling memoir of discovery and transformation, a woman walks every street in Santa Cruz County, California, and finds unexpected healing

Angelica Glass spent decades as a social worker helping families struggling with poverty, addiction, abuse and neglect. Needing relief from work-related stress, she turned to walking as an outlet. What began as a way to incorporate more exercise into her busy life transformed into something extraordinary: a years-long odyssey in which Glass drew upon physical exercise, a close observation of the natural world, and long periods of introspection to reconcile with her own past.

Between moments of awe as she explored her community and documented what she saw with her camera, she grappled with the turmoil of her early years in a complicated, challenging family, the aging process, long-held insecurities, and grief.

Whether wandering through residential neighborhoods, over redwood-strewn mountain passes, or along the seashore, Glass found solace and developed a growing sense of peace. By looking to the natural world to suture old wounds — by scavenging beauty on her terms — she came to understand what it means to feel whole.
Personal Development Personal Success

Critic reviews

Praise for Scavenging Beauty

“A moving excavation of the long tail of family trauma and the healing power of a long walk.”– Katherine May, bestselling author of Wintering and Enchantment

“Angelica Glass has written an extraordinary memoir of a harrowing childhood and the healing and transformation she experienced while walking every single street in Santa Cruz County. This is beautiful nature writing, coupled with depth and insight into trauma, forgiveness and especially love. This book inspires as it charms.” –Anne Lamott, New York Times bestselling author of Somehow

“Scavenging Beauty is utterly, astonishingly good. Angelica Glass takes us from the disordered ecosystem of a difficult childhood though the healing perfection of the natural world, all of it is suffused with nuance, compassion, and a curiosity that overflows its banks. This is among the best memoirs in this genre. I'm a better person for having read it.” –Catherine Newman, author of Sandwich and Wreck

“A good walk sharpens the eye, and Angelica Glass has made a raw, crystal-clear amble out of her life. Her steps will make you want to stand up from your chair and set off through your own life.”– Craig Childs, author of The Wild Dark
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