Vermont is a tiny state with a big heart. It's a place that inspires dreams and stirs imagination.

It's a state of mind, with a deeply rooted sense of place. One that values the land and moves to the beat of the seasons. For more than forty years, author Anne Averyt has called Vermont home. She has shared the land and the life of Vermont; she knows what makes this small state special.

In Vermont Perspectives: Sense of Place, State of Mind, Averyt easily moves between a spirited fiddle hoedown and the calm of a backcounty road. She explores, with insight and humor, the keen sense of place and solid footing in local values that shape Vermonters' views of home and the world beyond. A nine-year veteran commentator on Vermont Public Radio, Averyt shares her experience in this expanded collection of eighty of her Commentary essays.