McLeish (Narwhals; Basking with Humpbacks) returns to nature writing with this engaging exploration of the once highly threatened sea otters' recovery along the Pacific coast. Chapters jump among Alaska, California, and the Pacific Northwest, documenting the triumphs as well as the struggles faced by each otter population. The book describes how a few key players—along with the sea otters' own scrappy resilience—helped the species revive after being hunted to near extinction, and how modern conservation politics are still shaping their recovery. Though McLeish paints a mostly rosy portrait of the sea otters' comeback, he is also careful to detail what it took to get them here, and how easily it could go wrong for them again if we can't balance the tensions between human and otter activities. Yet, for all its seriousness, this is not a somber book: the chapters on otter behaviors (grooming, napping, and playful exuberance) are delightful, and will have any reader spouting off charming otter facts for days. VERDICT Recommended for anyone interested in natural history, environmental writing, or adorable animals.—Meredith Powers, York Coll., Brooklyn