The Home Place

From acclaimed ornithologist and MacArthur Fellow J. Drew Lanham comes a modern classic of nature writing and memoir, newly expanded with reflections on the decade since its original publication. 

“A landmark work of beauty, honesty, and insight.”—Helen Macdonald 

A decade after its original publication, The Home Place remains a distinguished work of American memoir and nature writing—a beloved bestseller that has inspired readers, birders, conservationists, and anyone seeking a deeper connection to the natural world.

In these pages, renowned ornithologist J. Drew Lanham traces his roots to Edgefield County, South Carolina, where generations of his family have lived since slavery. There, amid fields, forests, and fence rows, a young Lanham discovers the birds that will shape his life. Through birding, he finds wonder, purpose, and belonging, while beginning to grapple with what it means to be “the rare bird”—a Black naturalist in spaces where few people look like him.

With lyricism, humor, and unflinching honesty, Lanham explores race, inheritance, identity, and the enduring bonds between people and place. This special 10th anniversary edition includes new and expanded reflections that revisit the book’s central themes through the lens of a decade of cultural and environmental change, deepening the conversation that has made The Home Place a touchstone for readers across generations.

At once intimate and expansive, The Home Place is the story of a family’s roots, a birder’s awakening, and a lifelong love affair with nature. For longtime admirers and first-time readers alike, this anniversary edition celebrates a modern classic whose message of belonging, stewardship, and hope has only grown more urgent with time.