In the quiet solitude of pandemic lockdown, political advisor and speechwriter Chloe Dalton discovers an improbable friendship with one of nature’s most elusive creatures. “Raising Hare” is a captivating memoir that chronicles how a chance encounter with a vulnerable newborn leveret transforms not only Dalton’s isolated days in the English countryside but also her understanding of herself and her relationship with the natural world.
Unlike typical wildlife narratives, this book offers a rare, intimate glimpse into the mysterious life of the European brown hare through the lens of an accidental custodian. Dalton never set out to domesticate a wild animal; rather, she stumbled into a relationship based on mutual trust and freedom that defies conventional understanding of human-animal connections.
Exquisite Prose That Captures Nature’s Subtleties
Dalton’s writing displays remarkable attentiveness to detail. Her descriptions of the hare’s physical characteristics—from its “ebony eyes” with their “faintly milky, purple sheen” to the “rough, cross-hatched pelt of many colors”—reveal a writer who has truly studied her subject with patient care. The prose moves with a rhythm reminiscent of the hare itself: sometimes bounding with enthusiasm for new discoveries, other times pausing in quiet contemplation.
The narrative unfolds through the seasons, beginning with the leveret’s discovery on a frigid February day, through its adolescence in spring and summer, to its maturity and eventual motherhood. This temporal structure allows Dalton to weave in fascinating details about hare biology, behavior, and folklore while maintaining the emotional throughline of her growing bond with this enigmatic creature.
More Than Just a Wildlife Journal
What elevates “Raising Hare” beyond a simple wildlife account is Dalton’s unflinching self-reflection. As a political advisor accustomed to fast-paced city life, constant travel, and the adrenaline of crisis management, Dalton finds herself profoundly changed by the hare’s presence:
“Whereas I had been impervious to well-intentioned advice from friends, the leveret worked upon my character soundlessly and wordlessly, easing some of the nervous tension and impatience that I realised I had been living with as a result of a life constantly on the move and on call for others.”
The memoir therefore becomes a meditation on adaptation, patience, and finding meaning in stillness—themes that resonate powerfully in our hyperconnected world.
Historical Context and Scientific Insight
Dalton skillfully supplements her personal narrative with extensive research into hare biology, mythology, literature, and conservation. We learn that hares have featured prominently in human art and folklore for millennia, often associated with contradictory attributes—they are symbols of both fertility and chastity, cowardice and courage, foolishness and wisdom.
This research adds substantial depth to the book, though occasionally these digressions into history and science interrupt the flow of the central story. Some readers might find themselves eager to return to Dalton’s direct experiences with her hare companion during these educational segments.
A Subtle Environmental Message
While never didactic, Dalton gradually weaves a powerful environmental message throughout her narrative. Through observing the hare’s interactions with the landscape, she becomes increasingly aware of how modern agricultural practices impact wildlife. A particularly affecting scene describes a potato harvest that leaves dead and injured leverets in its wake:
“I stood at the edge of the fourteen-acre field and wondered with a sinking heart how many other leverets, or indeed ground-nesting birds, had been crushed beneath those implacable wheels and now lay within the ridges or lost to sight against the rutted brown earth. It was just another day, just another harvest, a scene replicated up and down the land and across the world.”
Dalton doesn’t offer easy solutions, but she does suggest that coexistence is possible if we’re willing to pay closer attention to the needs of wildlife and make modest adjustments to our own behaviors.
Strengths and Weaknesses
What Works Brilliantly:
- Authenticity – Dalton never anthropomorphizes the hare or claims to fully understand it. She maintains a respectful distance that honors the hare’s wildness.
- Emotional Resonance – The narrative carries genuine emotional weight without becoming sentimental.
- Literary Quality – The writing is often lyrical without being pretentious, particularly in descriptions of the changing seasons and landscape.
- Balanced Perspective – Dalton acknowledges the complexity of conservation issues and the competing needs of agriculture and wildlife.
Where the Book Falls Short:
- Pacing Issues – The middle section occasionally meanders, with some repetitive descriptions of daily routines.
- Limited Scope – While Dalton acknowledges the broader context, the narrative remains highly focused on a single hare rather than exploring wider ecosystems.
- Presumed Privilege – There’s limited acknowledgment that the author’s ability to dedicate so much time to observing and caring for the hare stems from a position of relative privilege.
- Occasional Overwriting – Some metaphors and descriptions become slightly overwrought, particularly when discussing the emotional impact of the hare’s presence.
For Readers of Nature Writing and Beyond
“Raising Hare” will appeal to fans of classic British nature writers like Robert Macfarlane and Helen Macdonald, whose “H is for Hawk” similarly uses a relationship with a wild creature as a lens to examine human grief and adaptation. It also shares spiritual kinship with Annie Dillard’s “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” in its patient observation of the minute details of the natural world.
However, Dalton’s book deserves recognition beyond the nature writing genre. It offers valuable insights for anyone interested in:
- The psychology of isolation and adaptation
- Ethical questions about human relationships with wildlife
- The unexpected ways we find meaning and connection
- The conflict between agricultural necessity and wildlife conservation
Final Assessment: A Memorable Addition to Nature Literature
Despite its occasional imperfections, “Raising Hare” stands as a memorable contribution to contemporary nature literature. In an age when many people’s connection to wildlife is increasingly mediated through screens, Dalton offers a refreshing reminder of what can happen when we slow down enough to truly observe the world around us.
The book is at its strongest when Dalton simply bears witness to the hare’s life—its habits, its growth, its preferences and peculiarities. These observations, rendered with such careful attention, create a portrait not just of a single animal but of the intricate relationship between humans and the natural world we too often overlook.
“Raising Hare” reminds us that meaningful connections can emerge from the most unexpected circumstances, and that there is wisdom in allowing wild things to remain wild while still cherishing their presence in our lives. As Dalton beautifully puts it:
“Ours are different worlds. She can cross into mine, but hers will always be out of reach to me, and that is as it should be.”
For readers seeking a thoughtful exploration of interspecies connection that respects the mystery and autonomy of wildlife, “Raising Hare” offers a deeply satisfying journey.