1. "Cathedral of the Wild," by Boyd Varty. Lyrical and engaging, it describes the coming up of Varty in a South African wildlife reserve. Deeply spiritual in its portrayal of his relationship with the natural world.

2. "The Wild Edge of Sorrow," by Francis Weller. Profound and transformative, this small book identifies the types of grief we humans experience, much like Kubler-Ross' book on the stages of grief did for us back in the 1970s. Apropos to our times.

Ouida Crozier, Minneapolis

Quarantine Reads are suggestions of soothing books in fraught times. Send your recommendations, with your name and city, to books@startribune.com