Small Island, Big Picture: Winters of Solitude Teach an Artist to See, Alexandra De Steiguer, 2013 

Every winter for 15 years, De Steiguer has spent several months as the winter caretaker on the Isles of Shoals. Free to wander the islands’ beaches, sandy paths, and craggy granite cliffs, she has taken beautiful photographs of sea, sky, old houses, seals and sea gulls, and the bent and gnarled trees.  A brief text focusing on solitude’s enabling one to think inwardly and deeply, supplements the images in a positive way.  It’s a beautiful place written about beautifully by someone who appears to have a beautiful soul as well as a beautiful face.  Eager to meet the author and visit the place—not a bad outcome for time spent on a book.