I had only read one review about this book before I went searching for it on Libby. When I did find it on Libby it said that this 4 hour long audiobook would be an 18 week wait! That is crazy to me. I ended up complaining to a new friend, their next response was an audible credit for the book. I was speechless, such a kind thing of them to do!
So without any knowledge of what this book really was I decided to dive right in. I am so glad I listened to the one and only review I read.
“I tell myself not to count the years ahead in which she might never again come, but rather cherish the days she has given me of her own free will, when she lowered her species’ instinctive guard against humans, and shared the beauty and mystery of her presence in silent and graceful companionship. I will remember her leaving, but I will always know that before she did, she always, first, looked back.”
Chloe Dalton, Raising Hare: A Memoir
About The Book
Author: Chlore Dalton
Publisher: Pantheon
Published Date: March 4th, 2025
Page Count: 285 Pages
Main Genre: Memoir
GoodReads Rating: 4.34
Format: Audio Book
“She has taught me patience. And as someone who has made their living through words, she has made me consider the dignity and persuasiveness of silence.”
Chloe Dalton, Raising Hare: A Memoir
Synopsis
Imagine you could hold a baby hare and bottle-feed it. Imagine that it lived under your roof and lolloped around your bedroom at night, drumming on the duvet cover when it wanted your attention. Imagine that, over two years later, it still ran in from the fields when you called it and slept in your house for hours on end and gave birth to leverets in your study. For political advisor and speechwriter Chloe Dalton, who spent lockdown deep in the English countryside, far away from her usual busy London life, this became her unexpected reality.
In February 2021, Dalton stumbles upon a newborn hare—a leveret—that had been chased by a dog. Fearing for its life, she brings it home, only to discover how impossible it is to rear a wild hare, most of whom perish in captivity from either shock or starvation. Through trial and error, she learns to feed and care for the leveret with every intention of returning it to the wilderness. Instead, it becomes her constant companion, wandering the fields and woods at night and returning to Dalton’s house by day. Though Dalton feared that the hare would be preyed upon by foxes, stoats, feral cats, raptors, and even people, she never tried to restrict it to the house. Each time the hare leaves, Chloe knows she may never see it again. Yet she also understands that to confine it would be its own kind of death.
Raising Hare chronicles their journey together, while also taking a deep dive into the lives and nature of hares, and the way they have been viewed historically in art, literature, and folklore. We witness first-hand the joy at this extraordinary relationship between human and animal, which serves as a reminder that the best things, and most beautiful experiences, arise when we least expect them.
Synopsis From Goodreads
“wondered how much of the nature of animals is obscured from us simply because of the limitations of our senses and powers of observation.”
Chloe Dalton, Raising Hare: A Memoir
Rating
After listening to this book I still probably couldn’t tell you the difference between a hare and a rabbit. However, now I do know that there are differences and not just because they are from different regions of the world.
This book ended up being a memoir to my happy surprise. I love listening to memoirs and this one changed the game for me. I normally listen to celebrity memoirs about their lives. But this book focused more on the animal rather than the human and I adored that!
The book was very well researched which I enjoyed more than I thought I would. I was learning new things as I went and just seeing the passion our author had for taking care of her orphaned hare was inspiring!
This book really focused on how what we as humans do in our every day lives can really affect the wild life around us. Mowing the long grass that has gathered in your field, The roads we create, The trees that we cut down to build a new building, even just Hiking in new areas that animals aren’t used to seeing humans around. All these things that seem so normal to us is quickly ruining animals habits, their food sources and homes. They can’t adapt as fast as we destroy.
The author really drives home how important it is that we treat animals with respect and don’t make them bend at our will. When she came across this little baby Hare (Leverette) she knew if she were to take it home that she couldn’t change anything about the way it lived, she vowed not to make it a pet. In doing so the hare thrived. It comes to show that when we do take in wild animals the changes we make to its surroundings and daily routine can cause stress and ultimately harm the animal.
The storytelling was beautiful and I know it will stick with me for years to come. As an animal lover it was really nice to hear this perspective as even doing something out of the goodness of my heart can’t fix the damage done.
“Under the subtle influence of the hare, my own wants have simplified. To be dependable in love and friendship more than in work. To leave the land in a more natural state than I found it. And to take better care of what is to hand, seeing beauty and value in the ordinary.”
Chloe Dalton, Raising Hare: A Memoir
QOTD: Has a memoir or non fiction changed your perspective on an aspect of your life?
World of Bai 