Raising Hare: A Memoir
4.6 | 7,491 ratings
Price: 19.57
Last update: 03-20-2026
Product details
- Publisher : Vintage
- Publication date : February 24, 2026
- Language : English
- Print length : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0593689003
- ISBN-13 : 978-0593689004
- Item Weight : 8.1 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.16 x 0.7 x 7.97 inches
- Best Sellers Rank:#2,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Environmentalist & Naturalist Biographies
- Biology of Wildlife
- Memoirs (Books)
- Customer Reviews:4.64.6 out of 5 stars(7,212)
Top reviews from the United States
- Al C.Terrific bookWonderful story. Heart warming, interesting, very well written.
- LCThe best natural history book I have read in decadesBeautifully, gracefully written, unsentimental, well researched but not technical, this is one of the best, if not THE best, natural history book I've read in many years. Although the author is changed by her experience with the hare, the book is not laden with descriptions of her personal life or problems. Nor is it burdened with lengthy descriptions of the harms inflicted on hares and other wildlife; these are briefly mentioned along with suggestions for preventing and ameliorating them. But these are not the focus of the book. The focus is the hare in all its natural beauty and mystery and dignity. A gorgeous and moving book.
- Mr MA moving tale of a the rescue and raising of a baby hare and the effect this had on the authors lifeThis book is definitely five star for its first part but some chapters of part two become quite hard going as it looks certain to have a sad or tragic ending.
In part one the author, who is a political policy advisor confined in her country cottage by the covid lockdown, rescues an abandoned baby hare and nutures it though to adulthood without it becoming a pet.
There are a few ups and downs due to sickness or injury to the growing baby hare but generally the story is upbeat and it is easy to sit down and find the chapters rapidly and pleasantly slipping past aided by the author’s breezy and informative style.
The typeface and general layout of the book contribute to making it an enjoyable and absorbing read.
The sketch maps on the end-papers of the book have a Tolkeinesque quality and greatly assist the reader in placing the events described.
Part two is much harder going.
The hare, now adult, leaves the cottage and its garden but eventually returns to give birth to several levrets who seem content to stay in its relative safety and even enter the house and chew the carpet and furnishings.
Somehow the author’s anxiety for this new generation of hares overwhelms what should be some of the happiest and most joyous parts of the book and it requires effort and perseverance to continue reading. It took several attempts and a month or so of absence to rejoin the narrative which otherwise would have been awarded a perfect 5-star rating.
One of the levrets, who is smaller and more endearing, then sadly dies for unknown reasons.
Its favourite hiding place in the cottage garden is marked on the maps.
But throughout the first half of part two there is an impending feeling that there will not be a happy ending and the destruction of the environment and death of several of its inhabitants - hares and birds, due to automated potato harvesting, puts the author into a very relective mood for all of the subsequent chapters.
On one of her walks she encounters a dead hare but she does not think it to be her hare and the text seems to suggest that her hare does make subsequent visits to the cottage and its garden.
But the book’s melancholy and reflective ending and the quotations at the start of the final chapters only serve to amplify the general feeling of gloom.
In a sense the book does end happily as the author develops a greater awareness, understanding and respect for hares and for the natural world and the reader is introduced to the intricacies of the life of a hare and will never again see one as being just a larger version of a rabbit. - warblerA Remarkable Tale, Remarkably ToldWhat can I add that others haven't already said? I'm not sure which is more remarkable--her experience with the Hare and her offspring or the wonderful way in which she describes that experience? In some ways it is a coming-of-age tale, not in the usual sense, as the author is a mature, highly sophisticated adult, but with how the author comes to appreciate the wonders and beauty of animals and of nature itself. And for all of the shared experience between the author and the animal, the author is always aware that she will never fully understand the nature of the animal. She knows she cannot domesticate the hare; nor should she try. But coexist in a special kind of wonderful relationship they do. This is a memorable book that everyone should read.
- SusanKLoved this book!I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Well-written with a touching, uplifting story. The line drawings of the hare add to its appeal.
- Long time Amazon customerRead it & laugh, cry and learn!Fascinating book. Well written. So many facts unknown to most of us (even the animal lovers) Extremely well researched. Heartwarming and heart stopping. Will not go into details as you need to read this and become a fan of all hares (yes we have one in the U.S.)
- Queen BunnyA must-read for every world-weary adultThis is one of the most beautiful and profoundly moving books I've read in many years (and I read a lot!). The author paints a vivid and unforgettable portrait of her rescue of a helpless wild creature and the relationship that develops between them - one of incredible, unexpected trust on one side and of unselfish dedication on the other. She is unstintingly honest in her recounting of her doubts, fears and perceived errors as well as in her descriptions of the sadly frightening and dangerous modern world these precious creatures inhabit..and is a wise and passionate voice of advocacy for nature. Ms. Dalton's generous love for the title hare and her descendants, her sense of wonder and her respect and appreciation for these mysterious animals shine through on every page. This wonderful book is a gift to all of us who are in need of the cleansing power of innocence. In sharing with us her own transformative experience, Ms. Dalton reminds us of the joy that is within our grasp if we just seek it in the simple beauty of nature.
- B. MacCameronYes, this one.Like many others, I loved this little book: the intelligent prose, accompanying sketches and its message regarding wildlife of all kinds, not just hares. Instead of domesticating the hare, it feels as if the hare makes the author think more like a feral being. The vulnerability of wildlife as we expand and take more and more habitat is profoundly sad and I am touched to know others feel this keenly.