THE WAY OF THE HARE

(Bloomsbury £9.99)

‘ HARES are startling, exciting, they rarely hang around for long but they leave a frisson of magic in their wake,’ writes Marianne Taylor in her celebration of these creatures.

Wary of humans, they are nevertheless deeply entwined in our culture and folklore — the Celtic queen Boudicca is even said to have kept a hare hidden in her dress, which she would release when she needed celestial guidance.

They are symbols of death and fertility, once believed to be able to change sex at will, and they are linked with madness — for example, the March Hare from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland.

Taylor’s passion shines from every page.