Archives of Joy: Reflections on Animals and the Nature of Being

“Beauchemin discovers again and again that happiness is a function of the connection between beings—the nonhuman animals as well as the human.”—Maria Popova, A Favorite Book of 2023

For readers of Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights comes a joyful, tender memoir of encounters with animals and their potential to transform our lives through joy.

Two mismatched ducks quarrel amorously. A tortoise basks on a rock in the sun. Four deer ceremoniously visit a writer’s garden to announce the arrival of a...