The Fullness of Time: Marking the Day by Birdsong, Blooms, Shadows, and Stars

"Fascinating and full of beauty." --Katherine May, New York Times bestselling author of Wintering and Enchantment

A joyful exploration of the forgotten art of marking time from nature's daily rhythms and a call to notice the wonders of the living world, wherever you are.

Most of us live fully digitized lives, staring at screens and tracking our data. We think of time as the relentless march of abstract, identical hours that control the shape of our days. But what might we gain from exploring the forgotten art of sensing the natural patterns of the world around us?

Cathy Haynes argues that by devoting more attention to the living rhythms of plants, animals, and light, we stand to reap inner riches that can bring us fascination and delight. To discover a new sense of time, she draws on the knowledge of astronomers, botanists, ornithologists, town planners and experts on sundial-making, shepherding, and traditional work songs.

In an earlier world, we used to mark daily cycles by shadows shrinking or the midday glow over a mountaintop. We called a phase of darkness "cockcrow" and named lively flowers for when they open and close. When working, we may have synchronized a task by singing. We'd notice the quality of the light changing at dusk and might mark the passing of night by the motion of the stars.

The Fullness of Time is an alternative history of timekeeping and an invitation to tune into the subtle changes happening around us throughout the day--even in the concrete-and-glass heart of the twenty-first-century city. Charming, gentle, and wise, it is a reminder that there are wonders to be found right before us if only we look around.

Author: Cathy Haynes
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Published: 04/21/2026
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.40w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9780593715451


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 02/23/2026
Kirkus Reviews 03/01/2026

About the Author
Cathy Haynes is a curator, writer, artist, and educator who has been developing a creative practice on aspects of time for more than two decades. She has been Timekeeper in Residence at University of College London's Petrie Museum, Artist in Residence at the Chisenhale Gallery, a curator for Art on the Underground at Transport for London, and a founding faculty member at Alain de Botton's School of Life. She has contributed to Cabinet Magazine, The Guardian, The Human Zoo on BBC Radio 4, and Monocle Weekly. She lives in London.