This is an affectionate look at the natural beauty of the 100-square-mile resort island of Martha’s Vineyard, just off Cape Cod. It has been a prized vacation retreat since the Civil War. In more recent times, it has been the site of the Summer White House for Presidents Clinton and Obama. Phyllis Méras, a fourth-generation summer Vineyarder who now lives permanently on the island, writes of walks in the island’s woods and meadows and on its beaches, observing nature through the seasons. She reminisces about her childhood summers on Martha’s Vineyard, and looks, as well, at the island today. Accompany her on her island walks. View the endangered West Tisbury Mill Pond; explore Edgartown’s whaling-era streets. Stroll by the sea and crunch through the snow. Immerse yourself in the author’s love of the out of doors. Her essays are complemented by 67 pen and ink drawings by Thomas H. Cocroft and Robert E. Schwartz.