In Philip Lee Williams’ follow up to the acclaimed novel A Distant Flame, he turns his musings toward dawn to capture the essence of morning.
In the Morning: Reflections from First Light is a collection of essays orbiting around one subject. Williams, assistant dean for public information in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, invites his readers to look through the kaleidoscope with him and examine mornings in terms of religion, art, science, sociology, and most importantly, his own life.
He treats his subject as both muse and artist, appreciating it for itself and as a backdrop against which the daily dramas and victories of life open up.
An early canoe trip or a walk through the wooded acres of Oconee County provide plenty of time to consider the subtlety and beauty of dawn.
Managing to keep a fresh perspective is key to the book, and examining morning as a concept rather a time frame allows Williams to construct a new face on the early parts of the day.
Williams, a self-described “morning person,” also finds time to tell personal tales as well.
It’s literally a read fit for the breakfast nook.