Chloe Dalton was a political advisor living in the English countryside when she came across a baby hare (leveret) on a country lane near her home. Leaving it for a few hours in the hope it would be found by its mother, Dalton later returned to the location to find the leveret still sitting there. Deciding to take it home, Dalton discovers very little information on how to look after a leveret and embarks on a crash course of trial and error.
Raising Hare - A Memoir documents Chloe Dalton's life changing experience finding and raising the leveret and I was totally there for it. I'm not really an animal person but I loved listening to the antics of the leveret as it slowly developed into an adult hare. From the outset the author strived not to stroke or cuddle the leveret, believing it should remain wild and one day be released into its natural habitat. The author's detailed observations and interactions with the leveret were endearing and greatly entertaining and I enjoyed following her experiences.
During this period, Dalton takes an interest in learning about the history of hares, and takes the reader along for the ride. I knew the hare was symbolic in certain cultures, but this was a timely reminder:
"The mythology and lore around hares was puzzling to me since it appeared to divide into extremes, with the hare a signifier of virtue, renewal and self sacrifice on the one hand, and a witch's familiar and harbinger of death, revenge or misfortune on the other. How, I wondered, could the same creature be both sacred and profane, chaste and promiscuous, lucky and unlucky, an emblem of self sacrifice but also a witch in animal form, the embodiment of madness and foolishness but also wisdom." Chapter 5 May Days: Witch-HareHares are mythical creatures and in medieval times it was believed hares were shapeshifters. Hares have been seen as sacred animals connected to the supernatural world and were once linked to the underworld in Ancient Egypt.
I admired the lengths the author went to in order to accomodate the leveret but I'll admit I found myself wishing I had a leveret to keep me company in my study.
Ultimately I'll remember this book for the nature writing and sheer wonder of raising a wild animal in a domestic setting. I listened to the audiobook perfectly narrated by Louise Brealey, who sounds - to me at least - like the character of Anna Bates in Downton Abbey, making this a sheer delight to listen to.
Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton was a real unexpected joy and I'll be recommending it to my sister!
