Every one of the books I note here is a light, each a gift from someone reaching from another time and place to offer us strength. The human spirit is capable of magnanimity that many of us have not even imagined. Loss and loneliness along the way need not weaken the wayfarer.

Walking Solo but Not Alone is a collection of fifteen discrete essays that present the warmth of our humanity in the 2024 context of a somewhat unsettled earth. It is a book about the author's and humankind's journey to a destiny shaped meaningfully by our forebears. Part personal memoir and part reflection on far-sighted literary characters, the essays guide us to chosen purpose and hope. Lifelong learners of all ages are invited to consider how we might keep earth and our kind safe in this new Anthropocene era. The memoir serves primarily to present the author's growth toward the responsibility each of us bears for protecting the earth's environment. Wise, witty, and superbly humane fictional characters become illuminating guides to readers who might sense loss or defeat or who might simply stumble or fear the sharp edge of loneliness. Although the fifteen essays are discrete, they also work sequentially, presenting earth and nature as our one home and all Homo sapiens as our worldwide family. Appearing with the text of appropriate essays, conversations between fictional characters reveal humane standards for our connection with nature, for respectful interaction with others, and for the memorable human capacity for self-restraint and self-sacrifice. Since the essays detail the richness of our humanity, Walking Solo but Not Alone affirms wonderful human courage, heartfelt conviction, and the joy of a strong mind.