Nature writer Melissa Harrison moved from London to rural Suffolk with her adopted dog and this book chronicles some of her nature observations and experiences from 2014 to 2020 in both locations. In London she appreciated enormous parks, nature reserves and hundreds of bird species and many animals. As wonderful as that was, Suffolk had even more in store, layer upon layer of nature. Wild nature.

There is so much to say about this gorgeously written book! As a forager and nature person I crave...NEED...nature and must be immersed as much as possible. Like the author, when moving house the most crucial aspect to me is not the house but its proximity to nature. Her descriptions are breathtaking and riveting, wondrously introspective. She engages all senses and invites readers to do the same.

You will read about red kites, witch hazel, voles, numerous flowers, hedgehogs, nightengales, ladybirds, bees, moths, swifts, ivy, blackberries, oak, hedgerows, insects and so many more. Not only that but the author discusses the effects of weather, climate, pesticides and traffic. But this journal is far more. It encourages us to really, really watch and listen and engage, even in little plots in cities. We can learn about habitats and diets of birds, for example, or identify wildflowers.

This book really resonated with me as this past spring and summer due to covid plans changed with travel bans. So, I took up bird watching in earnest which led to improving my photography. As pointed out, we sometimes take information we grew up with for granted but what we can glean is unbelievably rewarding.

The book reads like a feast. It is gentle and lovely. If you are at all interested in nature...or wish to be...allow this to be your inspiration. You cannot do better.

My sincere thank you to Faber and Faber Ltd. for providing me with an ARC of this deeply compelling book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.