Christine McConnell weaves a powerful narrative that bears witness to the intentional, deeply relational bond between humanity and the natural world. With open hands, she shares her journey of healing and renewal following the tragic loss of her beloved father-taken by the very elements of nature that once sustained him. In Awakening Wildness, her words move like wind dancing through canyon walls, carrying insight and wisdom to all who call the Earth home. Echoing McConnell's simple yet profound reminder-“this is the day”-this work invites us to pause, reflect, and reconnect. Experience it. Savor it. Its message has the power to move mountains.
Jayme H. Mansfield

Jayme H. Mansfield, Award-winning author & founder of Cowgirl Publishing

This is a book about remembering our way back to nature-and to ourselves. At its heart is a daughter's love for, and devastating loss of, her father, a mountaineer who taught her how to meet fear, build strength, and trust the steady wisdom of the mountains. Through luminous storytelling, the author shows how the natural world can stand beside us in both grief and joy, offering solace, courage, and continuity when human ground gives way. The wild, we come to learn, is not something we visit, but something we carry-an inner terrain that can hold us, heal us, and lead us home.

author of "The Way of the Wild Soul Woman" and "The Wild Scribe", Mary Reynolds Thompson

In Awakening Wildness, Dr. McConnell is masterful in her ability to distill insights from academic discourse as illustrated through reflective narrative. She draws us into her own direct, heart-wrenching, and beautiful experiences, rendering theoretical conceptions of experience not only practical, but also personal. This compelling tour of experience invites us to look anew at the histories we carry, and beckons us to move toward ecological experiences that might awaken the wildness within us. A must read for all who care about their relationships with nature and the world.

Ben Ingman, PhD, Director of Learning & Development, Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota