A Cry For The Wild
I have been sitting at home, wondering what to write, so I decided to come up with four books I recommend you read during lockdown.
There was something in these books that drew me to them, whether that was an underlying message they told, a positive story of action and hope, or the everyday struggles of ordinary people. I hope you find something in these books that appeals to you too.
Number one on my list is Watership Down by Richard Adams. This is a story of bravery, leadership and survival. It follows the journey of Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig and their small band of rabbits as they search for a new home, facing fearsome cats, the bloodthirsty General Woundwort, and humans.
Despite its apparent childish nature, Watership Down is a superbly written book from the perspective of rabbits, which makes for a refreshing read in this anthropocentric world.
The second book on my recommendations list is Wilding, written by Isabella Tree. Wilding documents the return of nature to an intensive farm in Sussex, when owners Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell decided to let the wildlife come back.
Knepp is now home to turtle doves, nightingales, purple emperor butterflies, white storks and many more rare and wonderful creatures.
People, too, are flocking there to experience the rich bounty of life that now abides on the once desolate farm, and after reading Wilding, I travelled to Knepp to see for myself what nature can do if given the chance. Wilding is a story of regeneration and hope in a time of mindless ecological destruction.
Number three is one we all know: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. For this one, I struggled to find something to write that would do this novel justice. In my experience, women in books are often only there to tell the story of the (usually male) protagonist, but instead, Little Women is entirely focused on the daily struggles, lessons and triumphs of the four March girls - Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy - in 19th-century America.
Books like this are rare and precious. In light of a recent comment from someone I know, I also hasten to add that Little Women can be read by men too...
The fourth book I would like to share with you is called Sky Dancer by Gill Lewis. This book is very close to my heart because it helped open my eyes to an issue that, for a long time, I was ignorant of: driven grouse shooting.
Sky Dancer brilliantly portrays the tension between grouse estates and those who are against them, and the hen harriers that are caught in the middle. This is a children’s story, but nevertheless, I think it is one that everyone, whatever their age, should read.
I encourage you to give each of these books a try - if you haven’t already. It will be time well spent.