2026 Fall Read: Wind & Weather
From the whisper of the wind to the fury of a blizzard, weather has shaped life on the High Plains—and the stories we tell about it.
Heaven's Breath: A Natural History of the Wind
by Lyall Watson
We rarely stop to think about the wind. We feel it on our faces, watch it ripple through wheat fields, hear it rustle the trees, yet it remains one of nature's most familiar—and most mysterious—forces. Invisible but ever present, the wind has shaped landscapes, influenced history, inspired artists and scientists, and quietly touched our lives every day.
In Heaven's Breath: A Natural History of the Wind, Lyall Watson invites us to look more closely. Blending science, history, culture, and storytelling, he explores the many ways wind has influenced both the natural world and human civilization. It's a book that rewards curiosity and reminds us that even the most familiar parts of our world can reveal extraordinary stories when we pause to notice them.
Filmmaker and farmer Marit Ehmke is an ideal guide for this conversation. Raised on a wheat farm in western Kansas, she has built a career telling stories about rural places, agriculture, and the natural world through journalism and documentary filmmaking. Her work reflects a deep appreciation for landscapes that are often overlooked and for the people who call them home.
Marit writes that she is drawn to "the quiet, remote places and people that are home to me," adding that, "what we pay attention to is what we care about." That perspective beautifully complements Heaven's Breath, a book that encourages us to notice the remarkable force moving through our everyday lives.
As we prepared for this Fall Read, Marit's recording session had to wait because rain was in the forecast and the crops came first—a fitting reminder that on the High Plains, weather isn't simply something we observe. It's something we live with every day.
Great books. Good conversations.
