Stepping Westward: The Long Search for Home in the Pacific Northwest

Tisdale ( Sorcerer's Appentice ) here conducts a familiar survey of human interference in paradise. The object of her critique is her beloved Pacific Northwest, a region encompassing Oregon, Washington, Idaho and part of Northern California. Tisdale honors what was and rails at what is. Pitted as foes are nature--giant Douglas firs, sea otters, beavers, octopus and salmon, volcanic peaks and desert coulees--and humans--whose abuses include logging and deforestation, diminishment of wildlife, and efforts to dam up streams. Tisdale is best in short bursts, as when she sizes up an Idaho potato magnate or takes a trip to the timber town of Forks, Wash. Though vividly written, the book is impressionistic in design, which can dilute an otherwise strong message. First serial to the New Yorker. (Sept.)