Little Rivers: Tales of a Woman Angler

This splendid collection of essays, reprinted from periodicals like the New York Times, Rod & Reel and Trout, is remarkable especially because Page is able to be lyrical while writing matter-of-fact prose. Here, she tells of her family's angling heritage-her grandfather wrote a popular book on the subject-her anomalous position as a woman in a predominantly male sport and her adventures fishing for trout in Vermont and Montana and for striped bass on Cape Cod. She also writes about her family: her anti-fishing mother, who died of cancer just as Page and future husband Tom were getting acquainted, her self-reliant father and, above all, her daughter. The book's charm is enhanced by this personal history. Illustrations not seen by PW. (Feb.)