This is the delightful true story of Chloe’s friendship with a wild leveret, just a day or two old when she rescued it. Full of facts about hares throughout history in art and literature. Beautiful hare illustrations & prose for each chapter header. Poetry by William Cowper helped Chloe to discern how best to feed her leveret. She went on an endearing journey of discovery, not only about hares, and her leveret, but herself. During Covid and beyond she watched the leveret grow & thrive. The story gets better and better. What a wonderful experience. Such trust. Thoroughly enjoyable. Highly recommend this insightful book.

At first I was impatient with Raising Hare, waiting for ‘something to happen’ in the traditional structure of a story until eventually I realised that I was missing the very point the author was trying to make, which was about being still and just existing in the same space as nature, the better to appreciate its gifts.

Once I stopped looking for drama, I was able to enjoy learning about the hare and her family. This was a mild but satisfying experience with a hopeful message.

It was the cover that first attracted me to the book, who could resist that beautiful, proud hare with it’s ears erect and that mesmerising amber eye looking out at you, inviting you to open the book and hear its story.

Only ever referred to as Hare, the author and protective guardian Chloe Dalton refused to give the hare a name. She never wanted to domesticate what is a wild animal, and felt that giving it a name would lead to humanising it in a way, and that was something she really didn’t want to do.

When Chloe first sets out to try to save the life of this tiny leveret, she had no idea of what to feed it on or even how to feed it. Yet desperate to keep it alive she begins research into everything you could ever want to know about hares.

It’s a fascinating story and when I reached not that far into the book and Hare makes its way out into the wild, taking its place in its own natural environment, I did begin to wonder what the rest of the book could be about. I wasn’t disappointed, there’s a whole wealth of information to learn. How Chloe changed some of her ways of living to accommodate the comings and goings of Hare. They lived side by side, never encroaching on each others lives and we the reader are taken on a journey of learning about nature, and how we as humans take it too much for granted, taking away natural habitats and putting at risk the natural ecosystem of our countryside.

I found the book to be informative, sensitive, heart-warming, and it always instilled a feeling of relaxation whenever I picked it up to read. A precious opportunity for the author to experience nature up close and for us the reader to be able to share in that experience. A wonderful book.

There are many excellent reviews of Raising Hare already on here and they all explain how truly wonderful this book is; far far better than I have the words to do. All I’m going to add is that I absolutely love this book, far far more than I ever thought I would. Although I think it will have a smaller niche in the book world than it deserves, I recommend if you have stopped scrolling or perusing the shelves to admire its beautiful cover and you have turned over to find out more or are reading these reviews, then you purchase it immediately. It’s already caught your interest and I promise you will be enthralled and your heart will be warmed at the beautiful writing, truth and love that radiates out of the pages. It’s certainly not overly sentimental but a fascinating read with some truths about how we humans treat the wildlife we share this world with and the harsh reality of how nature itself can be cruel.

Basically I loved this book, it’s currently one of only a few five star reads this year so far, and one of the few books I will keep forever to dip into every so often. The illustrations at the beginning of each chapter are stunning.

With grateful thanks to Canongate Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

This is without doubt the standout book of 2024 for me so far. I was enthralled throughout. Dalton lyrically combines the wonder of nature with facts and observations in her writing that makes it such a joy to read.

‘Raising Hare’ is the story of how one woman unexpectedly ended up rescuing a leveret and bringing it up in her house before it ventures back out into the wild. Only the story doesn’t end there, as while the hare is not tamed, it does form a bond with Dalton which is played out in various forms over several years. We journey with the author as she has to adapt to this new creature in her house of which she, at first, knows nothing about. As time passes the existence of the hare causes her own outlook on the world to change as she sees both beauty and dangers that lurk in the countryside.

This was such a wonderful book and it encapsulates the very best of nature writing. I turned the final page to be left with more knowledge about hares (which have always been one of my favourite animals) and also a determination to take time to notice all of the nature that surrounds me too. I was only disappointed that the book had to finish, I happily could have read many more chapters. A very solid five stars!

This is an absolutely lovely book, about a woman cut off from the world except by the internet during Covid lockdowns. Moving from London to her cottage built from a barn conversion in the deep countryside, she finds a tiny leveret one day and, as it hasn't been reclaimed by its mother some hours later and is clearly in danger on the laneway, she takes it home and raises it.

The intent is to raise the hare to return to the wild, so it's not made a pet, nor named. Kitten milk and such are the early feeds, but there's little or no info anywhere about leverets. The author tells us how she coped, the choices she made, some quickly abandoned - no hutch or cage, as the hare feels safe when she can see a long way around her.

As she reads historical works the author learns more on the subject of this fascinating animal. Warning that, as with reading about cats during the Middle Ages, unhappy scenes are called forth.
The later pages are thoughtful as the author describes how intensely, massively, industrialised agriculture wrecks the lives and prospects of every living creature in her vicinity. To counter this, she plants trees, hedges and digs a pond out which has silted up, providing habitat.

The building of the cottage had also removed space in a tumbledown corner barn which hares used to use, so fittingly, hares once more romp through the walls and play on the steps. The kindness shown to this hare is repaid by her demonstration of trust and the way she quietly enriches the author's previously too-rushed life.

No photos in my e-ARC but several line drawings of hares. Anyone who loves nature, or wants to be a vet or wildlife rescuer, will adore the read.
Readers may enjoy Joyce Stranger's The Hare At Dark Hollow, and Garry Kilworth's Frost Dancers, not mentioned in the reference list at the end.

I read an e-ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

I was asked to review this book by NetGalley and I was so glad I did. What a lovely nature book to give hope and stir up the emotions which it certainly did. The author has written a good account of how she raised a wild Leveret, and as it grew and had off spring this was such an insighful read for the reader. I was aware that they are almost extinct but this actually brought home we need to protect them before they are gone forever.

Beautifully written

Jolly glad I had the chance to read this.

One of the best books I think I've ever read.

The story itself is simple, but the writing is so immersive, emotive, and scenic. Very different, but as a child I had one friend - my pet rabbit, Jaff, who lived to 12. The way Chloe succinctly but dreamily encapsulates her thoughts throughout this book made me reevaluate how I view nature and wild beautiful creatures. I cried multiple times, and would recommend this book to anyone with a beating heart.

I really enjoyed this book. The journey of raising hare was so well described and the obvious respect for the wild animals was apparent. Recommended.

A beautiful wildlife memoir about a woman who hand-reared a hare. The language is exquisite and the story,  life affirming.

A delightful, unsentimental and evocative book, which made me reassess ideas of man’s relationship to the natural world. A return to rural life during the recent pandemic meant that many people opted out of urban living, and just as many chose not to return to it. The pace of rural living and our perceptions of man’s place In nature are highlighted by this wonderful and enchanting story of an encounter with a vulnerable young wild animal, which will die if left where it is found. The leveret shares some of the human’s experience without it being changed into a pet, and their story is told with many references to the history of the hare and accompanying myths are related to us, as the author seeks to understand more about the creature.

This type of book is one which I would not normally choose to read, but oh my goodness I am so glad that I have read it. A beautifully written book which is both engaging and factual. I loved the whole story of the hare from start to finish. I was expecting a tear jerking end, but I loved how the story finished. What a beautiful place to live and write about.

There were parts of this book which I really loved. Unfortunately, there were also parts I didn’t.

During lockdown, Chloe was working from home in the countryside and found a leveret seemingly abandoned by her mother. Having left it, hoping for her mother to return, she realised that if she left it then it wouldn’t make it. She took it home, and took advice of feeding it and looking after it, until it was able to roam free. This wasn’t the end of the relationship as the hare spend many days and nights in Chloe’s house including giving birth to several sets of her own leverets.

I really enjoyed reading about the author’s interactions with the hare (she doesn’t give it a name as it is a wild animal), however, it did get bogged down in facts and information about hares generally and other animals, and those parts ruined the book for me.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6779354580

https://maddybooksblog.blogspot.com/2024/08/raising-hare-by-chloe-dalton-there-were.html

This is a delightfully thrilling, informative, and engaging piece of non fiction from Chloe Dalton that is thought provoking and celebrates the profoundly affecting philosophical, emotional, and spiritual possibilities and connections between human beings, the natural world and wildlife. During Covid, urban dweller and frequent traveller, Dalton was no longer able to pursue her exhausting and time consuming career. She retreats to a rural location, living in a barn, working from home, with her sister, a farmer, residing close by. Serendipity has her rescuing an baby leveret in danger, taking it home, to raise it, not naming it, intending it to be free to roam and leave should it want to do so.

However, there is so little information on how and what to feed the nocturnal living leveret, Dalton is largely reduced to learning through trial and error, discovering it does enjoy oats as part of its diet. Her curiosity about her new housemate leads her to delve into man's historical relationship with the hare, responsible for wiping it out in huge numbers, hunting, and eating it. She explores the various species, the mythology, legends and folklore attached to it, its association with 'witches', people simultaneously revering and demonising it, yet there is a little true factual knowledge of the hare itself, other than some documentation where they have been kept caged. Dalton goes into detail with her observations of the leveret, riveted by the physical changes, behaviour, habits, intelligence, and changing needs as it grows. She is nervous and anxious in trying to ensure the hare and its offspring survive a slew of challenges, including the animals and birds that prey on it, humans, and the terrifying pitfalls of our modern life, such as vehicles and large scale modern farming practices.

I was transfixed by the powerful and transformative nature of the relationship on Dalton, altering her thinking, adapting her home, ensuring family and visitors responded to the needs of the hare, her growing awareness of an environment that takes little account of the needs of wildlife and hares. Dalton must move with caution as newly born leverets are born in her home, outlining the palpable, if invisible, trust between her and the incredible hare over the 3 years covered in the book. I imagine there are a wide range of readers who would be keen to know and eager to learn more of the memerising little known hare, I can certainly highly recommend it to everyone! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Raising Hare - Chloe Dalton for publication 26 Sept 2024

The story of a woman raising a baby leveret found abandoned close by her house is charming informative and delightful. How she goes on through Covid to accomodate the hare and subsequent leverets in her house and garden over 3 years and how she tries to find out how to do this without totally domesticating a wild animal is a pleasure to read.

This tale though is not just about raising the hare but is how the authors eyes are opened to the countryside around her and the damage humans have done and continue to do to the land and animals that live in it through intensive farming. Some of the descriptions, those Chloe researched from the past about how hares were perceived and hunted to the damage farm machinery can do are not pleasant to read but fascinating non the less especially as we appear to know very little about hares.

Having rarely seen a hare in the wild and then only from a distance I really wanted to go and spend time where Chloe lives as she sees an abundance of them which must be a joy. The awakening of her interest in nature through living with "hare" and how she manages her relationships to accomodate "hare" when she has to return to work is a fascinating read.

I loved this.

Reading Raising Hare brought me so much joy! How amazing can it be to have the privilege of observing such an elusive creature in the comfort of your home?! Home absolutely extraordinary for that same creature to allow you to be part of her world, a safe heaven for her babies? The ever fascinating animal world! And yes, indeed, we should do everything in our power to preserve it!

A meditative, warm, reflective and interestingly enough, informative blend of memoir and book on nature.
This is quick but transformative read. It is pure innocence speaking.
The reason why this is not a 5 star read for me is about the prose and the editing at times, and the slight imbalance between the reflective elements and the information in the beginning.
From a purely humane and nature-loving, life-affirming standpoint, this is pure gold.

Just wonderful!! This was a perfect piece of non fiction that showed the innocence and connection of humans with wildlife, and how the impact of just 1 creature can make a huge difference to a person and their outlook on life!

So the new life of Chloe begins when she discovers an abandoned leveret while out walking in the countryside where she has moved to during lockdown. Her life before was flying around the world at the drop of a hat, and she fully expected that was how her life would continue. But this little creature becomes her charge, and finding information about raising leverets proves very difficult! Through trial and error though, and working from home, she finds every moment of her day thinking of the leveret and making its' life a happy one! It also makes her very aware of the plight of hares, and other wildlife, in the modern world and it's fascinating to read all she discovers. As well as this she also mentions the help she found in poetry and literature, as well as folklore.

I loved the interaction between her and the leveret, and the trust the animal had in her from those early days, to the time when it reconnects with the life it should be living in the wild. It makes her look at the way she uses her garden, making it now more attractive to wildlife, and she even ropes in her mum for 'leveret' babysitting when she finds herself called back to work. It was so touching to follow the story as it grows up to have young of its' own!

So not only did her intervention have a beneficial impact on the leveret, it has a longstanding impact on her too with a new approach to life and a stronger understanding and bond with wildlife and outdoors. Glorious!! highly recommended!!

This is a lovely memoir; set over a three year period, about the interactions between the author and a leveret.It contains warmth but it's not sentimental compassion.

Chloe Dalton has written just the right balance of information about hares, including historical fact and their decline throughout the book, ensuring the reader is educationally reflective of the information.

A thoroughly enjoyable read!

Thankyou to Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hare's are fascinating and mystical creatures and this account of how Dalton came to rear an abandoned leveret was fascinating - wonderful accounts of the lives and behaviours of the species mixed with personal reflections of 'her' hare made Dalton's book and brilliant read - especially her endeavours to keep it as a wild animal and not to tame it as far as possible.