Little Sister Sand

Little Sister Sand is a compendium: a collection of experiences and interactions, of observations, and musings based upon them, that have taken place over nearly six decades - all concentrated on the outer reaches of Cape Cod, most specifically in Provincetown. Minsky has been wandering the beaches, dunes, woodlands, and marshes of the area for all these years, always with an open mind and an inquisitive nature. His own backyard and the sidewalks of town are also part of his territory. He reminds us that, on this little spit we inhabit or visit "sand is everywhere" and not to be underestimated.

His message in miniature is that wildness is everywhere, even in this "narrow land" as Thoreau described it. Cape Cod has been inhabited by people for centuries and the evidence of its "lived-in" character exists side-by-side with the wild fauna and flora around us. Human history and natural history are inextricably bound. An underlying theme of the book is exactly how we should share the world with our non-human neighbors: what exactly is our place in nature?

Minsky is a naturalist: he revels in the sights, sounds, and smells of the natural world. He muses on the interior lives of the creatures he encounters. He ponders the essence of beauty and the phenomenon of the passage of time.

He provides no answers; rather a profusion of questions. His conclusion: "Within the mystery, there is a place for us all."