Raising Hare

This book moved me so much I spent a not-to-be-disclosed amount of money on accoutrements for our beloved Boots and made a commitment to be a better grandmother to this Bunny! Chloe Dalton's Raising Hare is the sort of memoir that creeps up on you, quiet and unassuming, before it steals your heart entirely. Set in the hushed corners of the English countryside during the pandemic, Dalton unexpectedly finds herself in the role of caretaker to a leveret—a tiny, wild hare. What begins as a simple act of compassion evolves into a profound meditation on trust, autonomy, and the fragile dance between nature and nurture.

Dalton's prose is gentle yet powerful, weaving together her observations with a kind of reverence that makes you pause and reflect. It's not just a story of survival; it's a love letter to the wild things of this world that we sometimes try to tame. Her choice not to name the hare, to allow it freedom even as she cares for it, is a testament to her understanding of true stewardship. There's beauty in that kind of letting go—and a lesson I would do well to learn.

If you've ever found solace in the quiet company of a wild creature, or if you've looked into the eyes of something small and vulnerable and felt your heart stop and then shift, Raising Hare will settle into your bones. It did for me. And now Boots is the proud owner of several new toys, a wooden castle, and I'm pretty sure I promised him free garden reign while attached to his new harness and 25-foot-long rope.

I finished this one with muddy boots last weekend during the monsoon and a softer heart to Boot(s)!

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