Night Magic

Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark

By: Leigh Ann Henion

Narrated by: Leigh Ann Henion

From a New York Times bestselling nature writer comes a celebration of what goes on outside in the dark, from blooming moon gardens to nocturnal salamanders, from glowing foxfire and synchronous fireflies that blink in unison like an orchestra of light.

In this glorious celebration of the night, New York Times bestselling nature writer Leigh Ann Henion invites us to leave our well-lit homes, step outside, and embrace the dark as a profoundly beautiful part of the world we inhabit. Because no matter where we live, we are surrounded by animals that rise with the moon, and blooms that reveal themselves as light fades. Henion explores her home region of Appalachia, where she attends a synchronous firefly event in Tennessee, a bat outing in Alabama, and a moth festival in Ohio. In North Carolina, she finds forests alight with bioluminescent mushrooms, neighborhood trees full of screech owls, and valleys teeming with migratory salamanders. Along the way, Henion encounters naturalists, biologists, primitive-skills experts, and others who’ve dedicated their lives to cultivating relationships with darkness.

Every moment of this lyrical book feels like an opportunity to ask: How did I not know about this before? For example, we learn that it can take hours, not minutes, for human eyes to reach full night vision capacity. And that there are thousands of firefly species on earth, many with flash patterns as unique as fingerprints. In an age of increasing artificial light, Night Magic focuses on the amazing biodiversity that still surrounds us after sunset. We do not need to stargaze into the distant cosmos or dive into the depths of oceans to find awe in the dark. There are dazzling wonders in our own backyards. And fans of World of Wonders, Entangled Life, and The Hidden Life of Trees will discover joy in Night Magic.

©2024 Leigh Ann Henion (P)2024 Algonquin Books

Critic reviews

"A dazzling reminder of what it means to take stock of our planet's night wisdom, and a prescient reminder to let your vision ripen at night. And if you do—you'll understand why we need more evenings full of foxfire and ‘mothapaloozas.’ In this vivid book, Henion renders our night world with profound care and discovery. Prepare to be enchanted. Prepare to love the darkness.”—Aimee Nezhukumatathil, New York Times bestselling author of World of Wonders

“Night Magic is an illuminating exploration of the dark. Beautifully written, often moving, and full of wonder.”—Richard Louv, international bestselling author of Last Child in the Woods and Our Wild Calling

"Leigh Ann Henion has illuminated the natural treasures that live by night. Moths, fireflies, owls, and much more are brought to attention in these pages with the hope that we can put aside our fear of the dark and experience what happens during a full half of our stay on earth. Night Magic is a beautiful journey."—Douglas W. Tallamy, New York Times bestselling author of Nature’s Best Hope and Bringing Nature Home

A great poetic dive into a hidden world!

Balanced parts biology, poetry and adventure. I've always been drawn to night, whether it be the small patch in my back yard growing up so I could see the stars or seeking out bioluminecensent things in nature. This was the perfect book for me right now as I am trying to learn more about how we interact with darkness and the awe/wonder that we miss out on. tlThe book was the tipping point to enticed me to try growing some bitter oysters (mushrooms) to experience it first hand! I was particularly drawn to the glow worms, fireflies, and foxfire chapters. Makes me excited to explore the forest around Portland in a different way :) honored to be the first review, I hope it will encourage others to take the journey. Cheers

Very thoughtful and insightful

I love this book. Leigh Ann has a great Appalachian storytelling magic and it bodes well in this tale. It’s especially poignant now that huge swaths of western North Carolina, including her home, are in the dark after Hurricane Helene. I’m imagining her and her son finding just a bit of respite after this unimaginable climate disaster by looking to the night sky and seeing wonders previously obscured by artificial light. We have to, as “westerners” and “modern” people really reconsider what societal norms have pushed us into and find ways to recoil from that.

not much science

I expected this to be more informative, more science, Unfortunately, it was more anecdotal and woo-woo than I preferred, so I gave up and returned it... To bad, cause it's an important and interesting topic.